


Blackout

by Vivredeseaux



Category: Adventure Time
Genre: Adventure Time - Freeform, Anger, Anxiety, Depression, Eventual kissing, Fluff, Gore, Heaven, Hell, Homosexual, Horror, M/M, Sad, Yaoi, dark themes, male x male
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-27
Updated: 2017-10-27
Packaged: 2019-01-25 04:11:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12522684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vivredeseaux/pseuds/Vivredeseaux
Summary: Bubba and Marshall kick off their friendship to a pretty bad start; Fear, bickering and teasing are mainly what makes them unique as a pair. Bubba likes to think that Marshall is just lonely, while Marshall believes Bubba can't get enough of him. They both are stuck in a hella awkward situation, and someone has to break it soon. Does every love story always have a good ending?





	1. Notes

**Author's Note:**

> This Fiction does not feature smut!! I wrote this fiction for my enjoyment and the enjoyment of my friends. Thank you for reading but if you came here for that please realize that there is no and will never be any smut.

I know a few of the Character's ages or personalities may be a little off, so I'll give you a brief explanation of their profile in this fiction before you read it and get confused:

Flame Prince: in this story, he is also known as Philip. He wasn't given a name in the genderbent story of Adventure time, so I just took Phoebe's name and changed it into a male's name. His personality has changed slightly. He is not a klutz, and is very smart when it comes to science and biology. Although he is known to loose his temper if the moment calls for it. Don't worry, I still kept some of his good flaws and features.

Ice Queen: in this Story she is also known as Sierra. Just like flame prince, I took the Ice King's name, Simon, and genderbent it, making it Sierra. She is pretty much the same, personality wise, other than she's a little more quiet than usual. She still likes to "kidnap" princes and pretend as if they love her too. She can't remember her past life but she knows there is a piece missing.

The rest of the characters with different personalities or characters I just added in you'll have to imagine them from the way I write them. For instance: Gumball's Parents. They are non-existent in the actual show (kinda) but here I've created them how I imagine them to be, so please don't hate me for doing so. Like I've said before, I wrote this for my own entertainment and that if my friends, so if you don't like it you'll have to ignore it.

Overview:  
Bubba and Marshall kick off their friendship to a pretty bad start; Fear, bickering and teasing are mainly what makes them unique as a pair. Bubba likes to think that Marshall is just lonely, while Marshall believes Bubba can't get enough of him. They both are stuck in a hella awkward situation, and someone has to break it soon. Does every love story always have a good ending?

Character age/gender sheet:

Bubba Gumball: 16, Male

Marshall Lee: 1000, Male

Fionna Mertens: 16, Female

Flame Prince (Phillip): 1316, Male

Ice Queen (Sierra Petrikov): 1043, Female

Side Character(s)

Cake (Fionna's Cat): unknown age, Female

Slime Prince: 12, Male

I will be posting two chapters a week, but the first two I am not posting until Halloween! See you then!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween! As promised, I have two chapters for ya.

On one cold August afternoon in a small, quiet town, Bubba was walking home from school. He had spent some time chatting with his best friend Fionna and didn't take note of how late it was getting, the sun was dipping bellow the horizon, causing the sky to turn a brilliant shade of purple, pink, and orange.

Sadly, the bus he normally took was shut down due to a collision earlier that morning involving a biker, a car, and the bus on a busy intersection.

When something of that nature happens, he takes short cuts home, the best one being an alleyway behind an old abandoned factory, run down at an earlier year and replaced elsewhere. He doesn't normally encounter people back there, but sometimes there's a homeless man loitering around in the garbage, or a cat sleeping on the asphalt. It wasn't as interesting as some would like it too be, but he preferred it that way.

This time however, he was completely unprepared. The young teen rounded the corner, hands in pockets, and earbuds In his ears, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a man being held against a brick wall by a teenager with unbelievable strength.

For a second, he just watched, not yet processing what was going on. But eventually he was tempted to turn and go back the way he came. To his luck, it was too late. The victim saw Bubba and his expression changed from grief to hope.

"Hey, you, call the police! Help me!!"

He screamed.

Bubba gulped as the teen looked over at him.

Wait- this wasn't a boy, it was something unknown to him.

A terrifying unknown.

A proper way to describe him was ghoulish, or ghostly. This abomination had pale grey skin, with red slits for eyes, like a cat. He moved in a jerky manner, almost impatient or agitated. He had two puncture wounds imprinted in his neck.

There was a way he looked at Bubba that caused him to feel unnerved. The boy stared at him like he was food.

"Ahhh, Uhm..."

He scratched his hair and tried to back up, but the devilish creature laughed and dropped the man. He held him in place with his foot.

"Hello there,"

he said, his voice sent a chill up Bubba's spine. He had to get out of there fast.

"I didn't know anyone would come back here. Well don't leave now, I've only just met you!"

He smirked charmingly. The pink haired boy felt the impulse to turn tail and run, but something told him that he would not get far. All he could do was stand there frozen, and watch as the boy bullied the other man. It was painful to see the guy squirm and crawl on the ground.

"Now then,"

said the monster, flicking his gaze down at his feet.

"Where were we?"

He grabbed the man's collar, and lifted him off the ground so his feet were dangling. Bubba suppressed a gag, rubbing his neck and trying not to imagine the pain of suffocation.

"Please don't hurt me!"

He cried.

But his attacker didn't care at all.

Bubba watched him bare his teeth, and gasped when he noticed how long his canines were.

He had fangs, and was planning to use them.

"Stop!"

Bubba screamed, just before the demon reached the man's throat. He stared back at the teen, his expression hardening.

"I'm trying to eat, pest. Shut up and wait for your turn."

He replied harshly.

Bubba grit his teeth.

"No. Put him down."

He heard a chuckle, and watched a fire grow in the other boy's eyes.

"Or what? You'll throw a couple punches? Come at me with your best shot."

He laughed at Bubba, causing his whole body to rattle.

_I should shut up._

_I should stop._

He thought.

But if he were to die, He wanted to die heroically, or at least bravely. Bubba could save this man's life, and he would walk away - run away - unharmed. Maybe back to his wife, or his kids, or maybe even to something of equal importance.

Yeah, that's it.

Bubba marched right up to both of them, and stared straight into the creatures eyes. They were no less then three feet away from each other.

"Put him down, now."

Bubba demanded. The confidence had come out of nowhere, but he sort of liked it.

The ghoul thought about it for a second, and then to Bubba's surprise, released the crying man.

He went sprawling away, screaming down the next five blocks.

The teen sighed sadly. That could've been him. He knew this was it, he'd reached the end of his timeline. What an uneventful and brief life he'd lived.

He didn't know how bad death hurt, so he wanted it to be quick. His eyes squeezed shut, and he balled his clammy fists, concentrating as hard as he could on thinking of happy things.

But to make things worse, there was nothing that he enjoyed enough to hold him back from freaking out.

"You have guts, kid. Don't waste em'."

He heard.

Bubba looked up, but the monster was gone. He was alone in the alleyway behind the abandoned factory.

He released a shaky breath, and fell to the ground. He felt relieved, but he wanted nothing more than to erase those images from his head.

_What the hell just happened?_

Maybe he'd be better off not knowing.

~

As the vampire flew away, He frowned, slightly offput. He was at least 90% sure that whoever the ballsey kid was, had never met the man he was about to kill. So why would a teen like him risk his life to save a sad old fat guy's ass?

Why would he throw his one lifeline away for something... someone so unimportant?

His stomach growled angrily, and he groaned. Marshall still hadn't had anything to eat in the last twenty-four hours, so he would have to stop somewhere again to find his next meal. But still, his unsettling feeling never went away. Maybe instead of a human, he'd just find something red to eat.

Below, there were two figures, joined at their hands. It was a small display of affection, but it was clear there was something going on between them. He lowered himself to get a better look.

Just as he intended, the walked right past him, not even knowing he was there, but the vampire had seen them.

Even though it was dark, and a time for silence and in some ways a depression, the girl was laughing, her face lighting up when her partner said something amusing. She bumped into his shoulder, causing more giggles to erupt from her stomach.

The boy was almost the same, yet they were both different. His laugh was more gentle, firm, but he still gave her an equal reaction to her airiness.

They fit together perfectly, like two puzzle pieces. It made Marshall smile.

He loved watching young people, it reminded him of himself a while ago, and in the present as well.

He decided not to eat one of them, so they could stay together like that.

~

Bubba left for school the following morning, and the bus was back up and running again. It was also running the day after that, and after that, and after that. School continued on its normal schedule, every morning to afternoon, his life returned back to its cycle.

Once, even though the bus was running, He took the alleyway shortcut after class back to his house, just to make sure the creature wasn't there.

Bubba didn't see him when He poked his head out from behind the brick wall, But oddly enough, He felt kind of....

disappointed.

Like he wanted to see him there. It would at least reassure him he wasn't completely crazy. The meeting he'd had in that exact location a few days ago made his heart pound, which didn't happen to him everyday.

He shook his head and carried on to his house, plugging in his earbuds again and drowning out the world with pleasant violin strings.

Bubba stared at the neighborhood he'd lived in most of his life. Boring two floor houses with the same foundation and roofs, the only thing different about them was the paint, but even that hardly complimented any uniqueness.

When he was younger, he used to run down the sidewalk, his cheeks pink from the heat of his energy, and his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. He used to think everything was a vibrant color pallet, and running was worth it if he could see it all blend.

But now, the world has never been more monotone.

Bubba opened his front door, stuffing his house keys into his jacket pocket. The living room was dim and quiet, just as it always was.

The blinds were shut, which caused the shadow of Bubba's figure to cast forward. He sighed, closing the door behind him and letting the house go dark again.

~

The final bell of Bubba's high school rang. Marshall hid in the shadows of the large building, watching the other kids leave their classrooms and burst out through the doors, some giggling happy, other pushing forward with almost no notable energy. For a moment, The boy sighed.

He kind of wanted to go to school.

Marshall knew he had only been on earth for a few days, but he couldn't deny the longing in his chest. Immortality had cut his teenage life short so long ago, he never got to live.

Although maybe it was a good thing he was turned - he would never have been able to see a future as bright and new as this.

He looked across the courtyard and spotted a familiar pink haired boy that he'd been stalking for the last couple of days. Marshall stayed out of sight for now.

This was probably the most boring boy he'd ever met. Sure, he had one friend that came up to him during breaks (she was a little cute, she hat that reminded Marshall of a Bunny), but all he ever did besides talk with her was study, sleep, or listen to music. Today would be different though, because Marshall wanted be seen again. It was a completely new feeling for him, and he loved it.

He also followed the boy to make sure he didn't go telling everyone about his secret, but he didn't seem phased by it in the slightest.

Unfolding his umbrella, Marshall followed the teen to his living quarters. The walk was long, quiet, and boring, as it was everyday. Sometimes his target took a moving machine home, which the Vampire was scared to approach, but he almost always walked.

The stupid kid had his earbuds in again, seriously, did he ever take them out?

Marshall watched him stroll down the cul-de-sac, dragging a little farther behind him, hands stuffed in his pockets. He was wearing a really cute beige sweatshirt and these dark pink-ish pants that only made his hair look lighter and more vibrant. He's the kind of boy you'd only notice if you were looking, but not invisible. He meets right in the middle.

He walked so slowly that Marshall had to stop every so often to let the teen get ahead. It was the most frustrating process, but it would be over soon... hopefully.

Everything in this city seemed very different than he remembered. He'd never seen the nice square shaped huts before, or walked down concrete this smooth. Grass grew in certain designated places, that were very neatly trimmed and green. Little poles on the side of the cement sat still, these little red arrows connected to the side. Everything was new, and almost terrifying.

There were skyscrapers on the horizon that had amazed Marshall, and he wondered how a boring world could change so much in a thousand years.

The boy stopped at one of the square houses and drew a key from his pocket. He pressed it into the door and turned the handle, and it swung open easily. Marshall was happy to know some things still hadn't changed, but there was a lot that had.

as the boy slipped through the entrance to his home, he left Marshall outside all by himself. The vampire silently cursed and shook his head.

Figuring the door wasn't just going to open by itself and let him in, He did a full sweep of the home, investigating all the outdoor nooks and crannies he could squeeze through.

He spotted the boy through one of the glass panels in the back and smiled. It was going to be loud, but he'd found a direct entry way.

Slowly, Marshall folded his umbrella back up, stepping out of the sunlight, and he approached the pane with his fist raised.

_**BAAAANG!!!** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this work can received 30 kuddos I will write a bonus chapter featuring Fionna and Phillip!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

Bubba heard the sound of glass shattering, and jumped straight up into the air.

"What the--!"

Turning to his window, he saw a giant spiderweb of cracks around a massive hole in the panel. He groaned exasperatedly and backed away from it, as not to get glass his feet. He looked for the object that caused the window to break, but couldn't find anything.

"Spectacular,"

He muttered, turning to get the broom from the kitchen.

"Hey there,"

a familiar voice spoke, and before Bubba knew it, there were teeth at his neck, and hot breath tingling his skin.

His gasp hitched in his throat.

Bubba wasn't prepared to die. He hadn't thought of the possibility of dying in a few days. He couldn't think of any ways to save himself in that moment, and suddenly he feared he'll die alone. The only friend he ever had was Fionna, and she only just lingered. His mother didn't care about him. His father...

But the stranger just laughed against his skin and backed up. Bubba furrowed his eyebrows and stepped away from him, adrenaline flowing through his veins.

"Who the hell are you? Get out of my house!"

He yelled.

After his bout of hysterical laughing had ceased, the boy held up a hand.

"Proper introductions,"

He said, standing up straight again.

"My name is Marshall. And who might you be?"

He tipped his head to one side, and bubba grimaced.

"Someone who doesn't care about your name."

He answered.

Marshall shook his head, leaning against the white wall of Bubba's bedroom.

"But you asked and I quote, 'who the hell are you?' Yes?"

The pink haired boy tried to think of a reply, but grunted when he fell short. He could feel the heat rising to his cheeks.

The monster laughed again.

"Get the hell out. Get out."

He said with that same level of confidence, but on the inside the creature had him shaking violently. His heart was beating wildly, and he was afraid it might jump out of his chest.

Marshall seemed to notice the massive waves of fear rolling off Bubba, because he stepped back an inch.

"I think before I leave you should introduce yourself as well? It's only fair. Also jeez dude, calm down, I haven't come here to threaten you. If I was, you'd be dead on the ground already."

He started plucking through one of Bubba's vinyl shelves, shifting through the covers and labels like he's done it thousands of times before. Maybe he has.

"My name.... my name is Bubba. Now if you don't mind-...."

He started, but sighed. Anger doesn't seem to work on him, so he un-balled the fist He had clenched while watching Marshall mess with his music. He sighed.

"Please just get out."

Marshal pulled out a cover from Bubba's shelf and handed it to him.

"What do these do? You have so many of them...."

Then gently, he slid the cover back into place, and tucked his hands into his pockets.

"Bubba hmm? Cute name. I like your hair by the way. Style is nice, but pink? Really?"

Marshall reached towards the teen's head like he's going to touch his hair, and on impulse bubba stepped back, and placed his bare foot in shattered pieces of glass.

He sucked in a scream, and he groaned through his teeth.

_"Hoooooolyyyyy shhhhhhhhh---!"_

The pain spread up his ankles like his blood was replaced by fire, and he fell on to his bed.

~

The smell became so strong for Marshall. So very strong. It's like arms had wrapped around him and were pulling him towards it. He didn’t want it, He didn’t need it. He could stay strong.

It smells so good...

He dared to look down, and swallowed his stomach when he saw it. There was three shards stuck in the bottom of Bubba’s foot, and streams of blood was pouring from the skin around them. It was flowing right out on to the floor and causing a puddle of crimson to form.

He clenched his teeth so hard you could hear the grinding.

_I need... to leave... oh I want it so bad._

His feet started moving forward on their own, and his stomach begged for the gore of the scene. Marshall wasn't prepared for this.

He ran as fast as he could back out the window, causing more glass to fall, and he fumbled with his umbrella while he got as far away from the room as possible.

The smell still followed Marshall, staining and burning his nostrils with the coppery scent. His brain went haywire, and his tongue ran dry. He couldn't take it anymore, he suppressed a scream of frustration.

Out of all the people, of the victims in the world, this was the one person who could see him, and it took every muscle in his body not to turn around and slaughter him.

Bubba wasn't going to die that day.

~

After getting each individual shard out, Bubba cleaned the wounds on his foot and bandage it up. He didn't know why, after so many failed attempts to get him to leave, that Marshall left at that exact moment. He left pretty fast too.

Maybe the creature had a soft stomach? No, if he was a vampire...

oh.

Bubba grabbed a broom and pan from the kitchen and brought it to his room to remove the shards that fell to the floor.

After all had been thrown away, he duck tapped a clear poncho to his window so water, wind and bugs couldn't get into his room. And finally, after everything had been taken care of, Bubba laid flat on his back on the bed. Even though he'd just been physically threatened, and he stepped in a pile of glass, he still couldn't believe it had anything to do with some immortal leech.

The world he lived in was more broad than he could've ever thought.

(Later)

A yawn bubbled up and passed Bubba's lips as he watched the sun rise on his way to school. The bus wasn't working that morning, so He stayed away from the alley and took a different path under the bridge to his first class.

It wasn't a particularly warm morning, dwindling in the mid sixties, which was a bit cold for him. He pushed his hood over his head and pulled his sleeves down in attempt to heat up, shivering slightly.

His breath formed little clouds of steam, like smoking a cigarette

"Cold there Bubba?"

The boy gave no warning he was there, and Bubba jumped and fell backwards. Marshall was standing In his way, holding a black umbrella over his head, and an awful smirk was plastered on his face.

The pink haired teen scrunched up his nose and lifted himself to his feet, brushing off his back.

"What do you want with me?"

He asked, trying to go around the teenage anomaly.

"Nothing, nothing at all."

Marshall answered, rubbing the tip of his nose.

"I just wanted to make sure you aren't going around telling people I exist. You know, witches and wizards get burned for their craft!"

He said, putting a hand out and stopping him. Bubba furrowed his brow, thinking about breaking his arm.

"You know, people don't do that now right? Witchcraft isn't real."

He wasn't sure of that last part, now that he knew Marshall existed. The boy stared at Bubba, clearly confused.

"What do you mean? Don't you humans care about the safety of others? I thought that was why they held the witch trials..."

He didn't know how to answer the Vampire. Whoever he was, he definitely didn't act as young as he looked. Didn't the witch trials end centuries ago?

"How up to date are you on the world? In fact, how old are you?"

Bubba asked, pursing his lips. Marshall scratches his head.

"Well I was sixteen when I became...."

he gestured to himself.

"Like this. But that was like... a thousand years ago."

Bubba almost choked.

"What the hell?"

He said, suddenly more uncomfortable than before around the boy. Marshall waved his hands quickly, trying to dismiss the awkward feeling.

"Oh no Bubbs! You don't mind if I call you that do you? I'm still sixteen but have been that way for a long, and I mean long, time."

He looks panicked; It's kinda funny. Bubba shook his head.

That means Marshall didn't hardly know anything about the world today.

"Look, I need to get too school. Just.... stay out of sight okay?"

He asked. Marshall smirked.

"Awwwwww is lil' Bubba worried about me? Don't be, nobody can see me."

He rubs his shoulder lightly. Bubba frowns, catching a hint of sadness in his voice.

"What do you.... nevermind."

There is an awkward silence between the two. He didn't feel like it was nice to just leave him like that, but he was going to be late if he stayed any longer.

Bubba looked up at Marshall’s umbrella. It's not raining, so why was Marshall using it?

"What do you need that for?"

The boy pointed to his cover. Marshall chuckled, giving the pole a spin and showing it off.

"My breed can't stay in the sun. Humans get burned yes, but we are ten times worse in UV rays."

He sticks his fingers of of the shade of the umbrella, and his skin audibly made a sizzling noise. He drew it back almost immediately, wincing.

"Hurts like hell."

Bubba tilted his head to the side, and couldn't help but feel a little sympathy. He was a creature of the night, yet he still came out in the day.

But his focus was quickly regained and he realized he was gonna be late for school.

"Uhm, I've got to go now."

Bubba started running towards the school, and this time Marshall let him go. He sprinted up the stream, passing several parking meters and benches, his backpack bouncing with each stride. He had ten minutes to get to class before it started.

~

Marshall wondered what Bubba did all day sitting in that classroom. There were other students surrounding him, and an adult figure was speaking at the head of the room. Everyone took notes on slips of paper using a long stick of wood with led on the end of it, and were completely engrossed in whatever the man was talking about.

It was frightening to know that if you broke the led off of the stick, it had the power to kill him, but they don't appear to be hurting each other with it. They must not use punishments anymore like Bubba said.

It's still kinda shocking to learn that the word has changed so much. He was shocked before, but now He was completely appalled. Kids learned stuff in school right? Was this where they teach you crap about the world and it's functions? He was curious.

Maybe if Marshall had been born a millennium later, he'd be friends with Bubba, instead of just freaking him out. He wanted to be seen by others, and he wanted to be normal. The sad fact was, he wasn't even normal when he was human.

~

Classes carried on throughout the whole day, and after school ended, Bubba came home and took a shower. His homework sat idly on the table in front of him, but he didn't feel like touching it till later. Wednesday's were the day that Fionna texted him the most. He didn't know why, but she did. With a towel on his head, he pulled out his phone and unlocked it.

**16:08  
Message From Fionna Mertens**

Hello Gummy!! Hru this evening??

**16:08  
Message From Bubba Gumball**

Not too good. Staring at my homework and developing an appetite. Wbu?

**16:09  
Message From Fionna Mertens**

Saaaaaame. Homework is lame, we should hang soon! :D

**16:09  
Message From Fionna Mertens**

Shoot. Mom needs me. TTYL!

Closing his phone, he sighed and walked over to his vinyl shelves, sorting through all of his records.

Bubba smiled while running his fingers through the stacks of thin cardboard, feeling like a kid again.

Suddenly, he heard the wooden floor creak behind him, and He sighed.

"Why are you here, again?"

He said. He was basically shooting in the dark, but he was right to be suspicious. The other boy groaned.

"I hate wood...."

Bubba turned to see Marshall wearing a black shirt, grey jeans and no shoes on. The vampire came to his side, tapping the thin cardboard cases that kept the disks in place.

"You still haven't told me what these are yet have you?"

He said.

Bubba closed my eyes and leaned his head against the wall.

"Why do you keep coming back? Especially to me? Do you need a place to stay or something?"

He asked.

"This is getting annoying."

The pink haired boy rubbed his eyes. Marshall remains quiet for a little while, and Bubba begins to wonder if he was even listening.

But then, in a tiny voice, he heard,

"Would you?"

Bubba thought about it for a second. His mom wasn't home during the evening. She worked the night shift, so Marshall wouldn't be a problem for her. But for Bubba....? Having an immortal threat in his bedroom wasn't the happiest thought.

He questioned himself, but reluctantly nodded his head.

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you!"

Marshall sang in an eclectic way, arms raised high in the air. It was kind of cute... but then he jumped into Bubba's bed and the boy screwed up his face.

"Not there-... ah whatever."

He stepped away from his shelf to grab a pillow off his bed and sighed, also grabbing the homework from his desk. He whispered his regrets to the ceiling, and circled back to his bedroom door.

"Don't play with my vinyls,"

He said, pointing to the shelf to the left.

"And also, do not come and wake me up before my alarm goes off."

Marshall laid back against the bed and frowned.

"I don't sleep though...."

He was just full of surprises wasn't he.

Bubba looked for a second into his pitiful red eyes, and came back over to his bed.

"I guess it wouldn't kill me..."

He began, but his words fell short. What was he doing?

It's too late, Bubba had already grabbed Marshall's attention.

~

"Well... what do you want to talk about?"

Bubba asked.

He thought for a second. What did Marshall want to talk about?

The shelf of weird square cases.

"What do those do."

Marshall pointed to the shelf for the third time, and Bubba groaned.

"Why those? Literally you could ask anything, and yet you choose to ask that?"

Bubba is right, he could ask any other question.

"Why do you collect them?"

It was like he'd plucked the string of a violin, and it broke. Bubba sat still as death, head dipping down just slightly. The vampire could tell he'd struck a nerve of some kind, and that he shouldn't have asked that question.

But the thought still remained: _why?_

"Uhm.... sorry."

Bubba shook his head, but anyone who was smart could tell he didn't look okay now. His eyes were a little fallen and his back was slumped.

Marshall had managed to screw up.

"You don't have to answer that."

Bubba rose to his feet and carried himself to the door.

"I’m going to sleep now..."

He said, turning and frowning at the other boy.

"Okay."

He'd hurt Bubba. He'd already damaged a potential friendship. Earth was looking less and less as it used to be and that scared Marshall, because he didn't want to abandon his place of birth. His parents died long ago, but they still had him here, and he didn't want to let go.

It was his last remaining piece of his mortality, or his previous life.

~

Bubba had closed the door behind himself. His heart still ached from the question. He knew Marshall had no clue what kind of meaning those records held, but he didn't want to open up to a stranger - a demon no less - about his past.

Not only did it feel wrong, but it felt like Bubba was giving Marshall a slice of his life he didn't want to give. He sighed and fell on to the living room couch, opening his books and reading the assigned lesson. Hopefully his textbook would take his mind of things.

~

The black haired boy watched the sunrise through Bubba's patched window, but he didn't feel as energized as he liked to be. The whole night he'd thought about how he made Bubba upset, and it only punched his gut more. He'd invited himself into the house a number of times, teased and pushed Bubba's buttons, and even caused him physical strain twice. A good friend would never do such things. But what was a good friend? The Vampire never had any when he was mortal, and all Bubba’s friends didn't even seem like friends.

He looked up to the shelf of records, and tried to count each one. It didn't take him long to come to a grand total of 75 records. Damn, that's a lot.

He wondered what kind of value these things had to cause Bubba to get upset over. Upon closer examination, Marshall found a square wooden box with a black pole going across the contraption, and it had a little needle on the end of it on the floor. He wondered what It could be used for, and why it was tucked away. Maybe he could ask Bubba when he was awake.

Creeping through the door into the next room, he found The boy still asleep on a cushion, a blanket lain over his waist and his hand tucked under his face. He looked peaceful, and soft. Marshall reached out and touched his cheek gently, rubbing his thumb over it. His skin was so smooth and warm, it tickled his finger. It's sad to think that he could break him like a twig if he wanted.

He was cute, vulnerable, fragile. Like he could only look this way in his sleep.

Marshall wished he could remember what dreaming was like. Monsters like him didn’t sleep. They hunted in the night. His original intent was to kill him, except now he thought some humans were what makes the world a place where people can live and be safe.

Bubba had become Marshall's weakness, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

**_"SCREEEEEAAACH SCREEEEEAAACH"_ **

His thoughts were interrupted by a high pitch beeping sound screaming from Bubba's electronic device. The black haired boy covered his ears with a groan and scrambled back to the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

~

The following morning, Marshall had vanished; the only traces of him left was Bubba's messy bed sheets and the torn poncho in the window. He had to replace it with a blue tarp, which made the lighting in his room fluorescent blue. Bubba still hadn't done his homework from last night, so he quickly finish it up and threw on some school clothes. His phone buzzed while he was preparing breakfast in the kitchen.

**07:21  
Message From Fionna Mertens**

Don't we have a test 2 day? I'm not ready D:

Bubba smiled, typing a reply.

**07:21  
Message From Bubba Gumball**

I believe we do, I didn't study last night...

**07:22  
Message From Fiona Mertens**

I can't believe I'm hearing this from u!!! U never miss a test. Good luck Gummy!

Bubba closed his phone.

The bus would be at the stop in fifteen minutes, so he plugged in his earbuds and shuffled his songs.

What's weird about music is, when you meet someone fun or interesting, every song immediately becomes about them.

~

Marshall looked down at himself to view of his outfit. The dark haired boy had grown bored of waiting all day for Bubba return home, so he decided a day of school wouldn't hurt.

Maybe he'd get more up to date on the world. He had taken the articles of clothing from Bubba's closet, finding his size was a perfect fit. Marshall picked out a white button up collared shirt, covering it with a black long sleeve sweatshirt. He’d also found some reddish brown pants that came down to his ankles, and a pair of shoes that made his heels itch. Borrowing Bubba's clothes made him feel safe and warm, and he wrapped his hands over his shoulders.

He looked like he fit in as much as an immortal could.

So Marshall walked himself to high school, umbrella in hand and a skip in his step. He approached the large building, and noted how the other students move, some hiding themselves from crowds, others fully engaged in conversation.

He couldn't do any of these thing.

He also couldn't help but overhear a little.

".....Such a loser, why did you...."

"....got sick last week."

"Where are you going after...."

they were only tiny fragments of sentences, Marshall didn't bother to listen to anymore. He stepped through the steel doors and walked straight up to the second floor, standing outside the classroom Bubba goes to first. He hopped the pink haired boy wouldn't mind him joining in for a day.

After all, it was just a day right?

Marshall feared he might not be aloud up there yet, because the entire hallway was empty. He wondered if he had come too early.

But he jumped when the bell rang, and swarms of students ran up the stairs. A teacher opened the door for his students to go in, and Marshall followed them. Bubba was the last one to enter. When The pink haired boy saw him, his mouth dropped, and he tilted his head. The man at the head of the room clears his throat.

"Mr. Gumball, can you take your seat? Class is starting."

Marshall couldn't contain his snort. Gumball? Is that why his hair was pink? Bubba gave him a warning glance, but turned to the front of the classroom. The immortal sat in the windowsill to observe.

Eventually, the classroom grew boring. It was extremely hard to pay attention to the teacher, and every few seconds Marshall found himself yawning, even though it wasn't possible for him to sleep. At one point during the lesson, he forgot about the sun, and it singed his shoulder a little. He cried out as quietly as he could, and his hip bumped a chair at the back of the room. The kid sitting in it looked confused, but went back to his work almost immediately. Bubba looked back at him, eyes wide with terror. Marshall waved shyly and popped his umbrella back into place.

~

It'd been forty five minutes since class started, and no one had even noticed the fact that there was a vampire sitting on the windowsill, and not to mention he was carrying a big black umbrella with him. Marshall was literally the most attention grabbing thing. Bubba felt crazy.

Was he the only one who could see Marshall? Was this some kind of haunting story, where he's being tormented and punished by God? Was God even real? Was this all in his head?

He took a deep breath, and rubbed his eyes with the tips of his fingers.

He raised his hand slowly, catching the eye of the teacher.

"Yes?"

He asked.

"Uhm..."

Bubba started, pointing to the door.

"Can I please use the hall pass?"

The man frowned at Him.

"Hurry up."

he rose his feet and grabbed the hall pass from the teacher, stepping outside of the classroom. He decided to count to ten, taking a deep breath for each number. At eight Marshall was at Bubba's side.

After all the times he'd been harassed, jump scared and bugged by this guy, you'd think he'd be used to it by now right?

Wrong.

"How did you..."

He started, but shook his head.

"Follow me,"

He whispered, grabbing the other boy's wrist and pulling him down the stairs. He took him to a bathroom in the main hall, and stood outside next to the water fountain. He let Marshall go.

"What are you doing here?"

Bubba demanded, half glaring at him.

"What's it look like?"

He answered, gesturing to the halls.

"I'm coming to school, Gumball."

Marshall chuckled. Bubba felt the heat in his cheeks.

"Don't call me that..."

Gumball slapped his face with his hands a few times and tried to concentrate. He came here to talk about public presentation with The vampire.

"You can't just sit in the windowsill during a lesson! People can see you!"

He yelled quietly.

Marshall shook his head, arms crossed. Suddenly, the pink haired boy recognized the clothing he was wearing. Mostly because they came from his closet.

"Did you steal my clothes???!"

He said, hushed but forceful.

"Ppft, it's not like you were gonna use these, were you? And I didn't steal them, I borrowed them."

Marshall made air quotations with his narrow grey fingers, his weight shifting onto his hip.

Bubba was too overstimulated to be frustrated at him. Instead, he grit his teeth together and crossed his arms blatantly across his chest.

"Are you playing with my head right now? You freaking bumped that kid in the back and he hardly acknowledged you! You are carrying this huge ass umbrella and sitting on the window! You-"

"Okay okay, jeez. I’ll tell you.”

Bubba looked past his anger and saw that Marshall's smile faded into a frown, and he held up a hand.

"But you have to understand that I don't know everything about myself."

Slowly, Bubba nodded, and hugged his shoulders, changing his position.

~

Marshall inhaled through his nose deeply.

"Nobody in this realm can see me if I don't want to be seen. I have a cover that others like me use to shield and protect themselves from potentially dangerous targets. It doesn't work on anyone except mortals."

He said, using gestures while he talked. Bubba bit the inside of his cheek.

"So you wanted me to see you then?"

He asked, more confused than he had ever been in his life. Marshall shook his head.

"I don't know why you can see me. You are an exception to the 'human coverage' plan. I thought that maybe you were immortal, or an angel of some kind, but you are boringly human...”

Marshall could see the gears turning in Bubba's head as he tried to decode his problem.

"Maybe it has something to do with-"

The bell rang, and both boys jumped. They'd missed the last fifteen minutes of Bubba's class. Marshall smiled faintly, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"I'll see you when school is over Bubbs. Class just isn't for me."

~

Bubba watched him disappear through the front doors, unfolding his massive black umbrella, and sighing.

He’d been left with a question that would eat him all day, but he sighed and moved on to his next class activity.

He’d get to see Marshall later anyhow.

~

Marshall kicked up dust with his feet, walking back to Bubba's house with his shade and a sour mood. It wasn't Bubba's fault for triggering it, but he wished he hadn't gone to school with him.

The vampire had found this trip to be a huge bust, and he should've just stayed inside. At least then he wouldn't feel like crying.

He wouldn't feel like crying.

Marshall felt like crying.

It kinda came out of nowhere, but he smiled. It felt good to be able to cry again, it made him feel human. Sadly, he would never be human again, and tears never came.

Without warning, A loud gust of wind blew him backwards, and a bright purple light flickered to life before him. It hovered about three feet above the ground, and it was only the size of Marshall's torso. He recognized what it was almost immediately.

"Oh no..."

He took a step back, but someone stuck their head out of the cloud of the purple swirling vortex.

It was Phillip, the boy who he lived with in the Nightosphere.

"Marshall, sir, We need you back in the Nightosphere. There are important business that need your attention, and your subjects are worried, and-"

The vampire silenced the other boy in front of him with his pale finger.

"Flame Prince, I'm sorry, I cannot return to that place, because I've found my permanent home. You and I both know I never belonged there anyways. You were born of the flame of the Nightosphere, you deserve to rule more than I ever could, and..."

He answered, falling short of reasons to give the other boy. It was all true, but he knew his friend wouldn't let him go that easily.

His lips pursed.

"Sire, I'm sorry-"

"Don't call me Sire, Phillip."

"Marshall, I'm sorry but I can't except that. You were created to rule the Nightosphere, and the Nightosphere only. Earth is not for you, take note of the cover above your head and the clothing you wear. We weren't made to be looked upon like God. That's why we live down below the ground. Now, please come with me."

Phillip held out his glowing yellow hand, but Marshall didn't take it. Instead he crossed his arms defiantly. Hr watched the prince before him slowly become agitated.

"I apologize, my king, but you leave me no choice, I must do this."

He grabbed the dark haired boy's arm and clenched his fingers down hard, causing Marshall to howl in pain. The flaming sensation was spreading wildly through his veins, and he felt like he was being melted down.

Without a chance to say goodbye to Bubba, Marshall was pulled back into the Nightosphere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this work can received 30 kuddos I will write a bonus chapter featuring Fionna and Phillip!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is your next set of two chapters. Like I said I will post two a week until I run out, so enjoy!

Chapter 3

Noise, Bubba wanted noise.

At least something that would give him a reason to be distracted. But no, Marshall still wasn't back yet; It sort of worried the other boy.

"Marshall are you here?"

He said aloud. No reply from anyone.

"Marsh..?"

Zero. The last time Bubba had such bad anxiety like this, it was because Fionna said she was going to the dentist when they were, what, eight? He thought she was going to die. But she grabbed his hand and said,

"I will be fine. I'll fight off the doctors with my bare hands if I have to!"

Bubba wished he could go back to being an ignorant child.

But those days were long gone.

**18:43  
Message From Fionna Mertens**

Hey there Gumsy! U left school pretty fast today, I couldn't catch up! Wanna hang out tomorrow afternoon?

Bubba stared at the text.

Fionna was his best friend, but he hasn't been treating her to that title recently. He started typing a reply.

**18:44  
Message From Bubba Gumball**

Actually, yes, I would. You can pick where we go.

**18:44  
Message From Fionna Mertens**

Yea! Awesome! See you soon Bubba. TTYL!

The teen laid out his homework from today's lessons on the table. Since there wasn't any noise to help him focus, bubba plugged in his left earbud and shuffled his songs.

He frowned. Songs were always about someone, and he felt as though his mind was thinking of the first person he could relate it to. It was Marshall of course, but he couldn’t figure out why.

Bubba set his pencil back down lightly (after just picking it up) and backed away from the desk. His bare feet were soft and sticky on the hardwood as he padded over to the disks. When he touched them, the nerves were gone, and a light smile bloomed on his face.

"I'm okay dad,"

He whispered, plugging in the other earbud and seating himself on the floor. His ceiling was plain white and boring to look at, so bubba closed his eyes thoughtfully.

He wanted nothing more than to escape from this boring old town with someone.

He wanted to be with someone who was lively and fun

Someone who was dangerous and wanted trouble.

Dangerous, lively, fun, immortal...

With the song drawing to a close, he knit his eyebrows together. Bubba hadn't realized how much he liked having Marshall around until he wasn't there anymore. They had scarcely known each other for a couple of days, and his heart was already hurting.

The longing became to painful. He brought up his left hand and covered his eyes, exhaling. Was loneliness always like this? Did he really live this life everyday?

He opened his eyes again and moved his hand away.

No, not always.

He needed to do something about this ceiling. This depressing white ceiling.

And he would tomorrow.

~

The Nightosphere was a very dark and quiet place. Hardly anything ever happened there if war wasn't waging.

Marshall gripped the balcony with tightly stimulated fingers, and squeezed his eyes shut. Escape meant everything to him at this point.

From another room in the castle, he heard a piano tile click, and a single note rung in his ears. This note, and four others were played in patterns, each different from the last. He swayed with the music. In the Nightosphere, playing the piano symbolized the longing in your heart or the grief of missing someone you had once known. Marshall knew who was playing it, and he felt a twinge of sympathy in his heart. It was Phillip.

Phillip played because he longed for the kingdom's war to end with the Angels. He craved nothing more than peace and prosperity and order. He was so much like a King, and it made Marshall jealous. He always knew what was best for others, and did everything by himself, not letting anyone else take the burden.

It was truly depressing to hear this song, and every time a key was struck, a chill went up Marshall's spine.

Every time a note was played, he remembered missing someone.

Every time the tile was pounded, he remembered the feel of Bubba’s soft pink cheeks.

Every time the chord was hit, he imagined that same feeling on his stomach, and his hair, and his-

Stop.

_Stop._

The piano went silent.

Marshall gulped in air, having realized he had held his breath that entire time. It’s not like he needed to breathe, but the absence of it was notable. The silence brought him back to his thoughts.

Escape meant everything to Marshall, because when the opportunity presented itself, he would return to Bubba, and everything would be okay again.

Nothing would ever be dark, or quiet, or lonely.

It would just be them.

For a guy who was already in Hell, he wanted to achieve Heaven on Earth with Bubba. It made him smile a bit.

Phillip approached Marshall on the balcony, and looked out on to the vast dark sky. The wind was lapping at the flames on his head, making him look wild.

"I know you don't like it here Marshall, but things will get better for you. The Nightosphere isn't the worst realm to be in."

The vampire king could detect a certain sadness in his voice, and he pitied him. He didn't want to pity him.

"Things were better, back on earth."

Marshall released some of the tension in his limbs that had formed a few seconds ago.

The flaming prince stepped away from him and vanished back into the castle walls.

"Please stop trying to live a reality you know will only hurt you and those you love."

Marshal grimaced and turned around to give Phillip a piece of his mind, but was disappointed to discover him missing.

Screw being King.

He was _definitely_ going to escape.

~

Bubba watched the hallway clear out after the final bell had rang. This is the spot Fionna had convinced him to meet her that morning over the phone, right next to the statue case on the first floor. His school didn't have very many achievements, there were a couple Football awards and homecoming shots of a couple people he didn't recognize. Bubba wasn't really interested in joining any clubs, they had no appeal to him. Besides there were only four. Photography, School News Paper, Art, and Poetry. The only teams this school had was the Football Team, the Cheer team, and the ladies Lacrosse team. Bubba shivered at the thought of playing football. That was a ton of sore muscles and migraines he didn't want to go through.

"Bubba!"

He looked up, watching a pare of bunny ears maneuver through a sea of other students. He smiled.

"Ah, hey there,"

Fionna panted, hands on her knees before him.

"Hey."

She regained her posture and wiped her brow, a huge smile adorning her face.

"Ready to go?"

She asked, her head tilted. Bubba chuckled.

"The question is, where does 'go' lead to?"

Fionna came up to his ear, and he froze.

"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you!"

She jabbed her fingers into his sides, causing the boy to giggle loudly. Some of the other classmates turned their heads, distracted by the noise, but eventually moving on when realizing it was nothing.

"Okay okay! I get it. Where did you decide you wanted to go?"

She shrugged her backpack up her shoulder a little more, as it had started to slip.

"I thought maybe we could go to the beach? There is a boardwalk that we can walk down. Also a ton of shops."

She smiled up at bubba. He thought about it first, but eventually nodded, thinking about how he hadn’t been to the beach since he was a toddler.

"Sounds good. When do you want to go?"

She took his hand and pulled him through the front door, leading him along the sidewalk. This was the way to the bus stop.

"Right now!"

She answered, skipping as she went. Bubba was a little disoriented but followed her obediently. Sometimes with Fionna, you just have to go with whatever she says.

The bus dropped the pair off two blocks away from the boardwalk. It wasn't particularly sunny, and the wind was blowing fiercely. In fact, It was a bit chilly, and Bubba was glad he brought his sweatshirt. Fionna though had nothing but a t-shirt and a skirt. She didn't seem really bothered by the temperature anyhow.

"Look at that, we have it all to ourselves!"

The vast emptiness of the beach left Bubba a little uncertain. There were one or two people loitering around by the bathrooms, but the whole place felt deserted. Fionna grabbed the boy's hand once more, pulling him with her down the breezy, sandy pathway. She hummed as she walked.

"You haven't really been the same recently Bubba. There has been a change in your mood - a good change - and it makes me just the slightest bit curious."

She pointed to a wooden bench a few feet up from them, and they sat together. Bubba leaned back in his chair, pulling his hair back with a chuckle.

"I don't know... remember what I told you about my dad?"

He asked.

Fionna nodded, but her face was unsure.

"You mean the story of his obsession with music?"

Bubba sighed, nodding sadly at the memory.

"Since he.... since he passed, I haven't really been open or social with anyone. I thought that if I just had my mom and my music I would be fine, but I was wrong Fionna. I..."

The pink haired boy considered telling Fionna about Marshall, but cast the thought aside.

"I want to be me again. I want to smile and laugh and do teenage stuff and get in trouble, but I can't without you. So I guess..."

Fionna's eyes brightened as she realized where Gumball was going.

"Will you hang out with me more?"

She smiled widely. He knew what he should say to her, that yes he would, but it felt more like a lie and a task than anything.

Bubba swallowed it down and lied.

"Yes, I would love to get us in trouble. I too want to go back to being a stupid kid."

She laced her fingers with his, and he smiled at her. This was a friendly gesture, and he appreciated it greatly. He remembered all the times as a kid Fionna would hold his hand because she was afraid. Her parents fought with each other a lot, which lead to a divorce. She was too young to understand what was happening. So they bought her a cat named cake to keep her calm. Soon after that Bubba's father had died, and he separated from her. That cat was all that kept Fionna from falling apart.

"How is Cake doing Fionna?"

He asked, side glancing at her. Her smile turned into a worried look, and he could see the fear in her eyes.

"I don't know. She's getting sick and old. My mom and I are taking her to the vet in two weeks to see what's wrong..."

Her grip tightened on his hand. She must've been afraid.

"I guess we've both got our own set of problems don't we?"

He asked, a strong flow of air combing through their hair in a rough way.

She nodded in agreement. Bubba felt like he had ripped open a wound in her chest, and wanted badly to have a do over. So he pulled out his phone and opened the camera.

"This is going to sound stupid but... I realized my walls were bare yesterday, and that I don't have anything that I can hang up. Do you mind if I get a picture of us so I can pin it there?”

He said, tapping his foot lightly.

She formed a tiny smile, genuine but not quite joyous.

"Shoot for it Bubba."

He held it a few feet from their face, smiling into it as did she. Once the photo was taken, the two had closed their eyes and listened to the waves and the wind, enjoying the company of each other's silence. Sometimes that's all you need in time of hurt.

"Oh, and Fionna?"

He said, looking down at her.

"Yea?"

He slipped his arm over her shoulder to warm her up.

"I get to pick the next place."

~

Bubba propped open his bedroom door, dropping his bag in the corner as he always did. He had started listening to his music on the bus ride home, and since then his buds hadn't come out. He felt frustrated with himself. Fionna and him hadn't done much else at the beach besides walk out onto the sand and sorted through a few shells on the shoreline, but he had fun.

Opening his laptop, bubba uploaded the photo from his phone onto the screen and printed it out onto film paper.

Holding the still drying picture, he smiled. It came out better than he would've thought. The boy hummed along to the song that was currently playing, and found a place on the ceiling to tack it to. It looked Lonely up there, but hopefully it wouldn't be for to long.

Bubba fell back on to his bed and sighed. The sun was setting now, and the room grew to be a dim blue, due to the fact that he still hadn't told his mother about the broken window. He made a mental note to do so the minute he saw her. The boy was still upset that Marshall still hadn't come back since school ended the day before. He wondered why, but couldn't form a good enough reason in his head. That made him worry.

Suddenly, his music turned off, and when he checked his phone he realized that he let the battery get really low, and that now it was dead. With groan he rose to his feet and plugged it in, leaving it sitting on his table. No music for him tonight.

He pulled his sheets off, but didn't bother to drag them back over his body. Bubba still had his clothes on but didn't care. He'd change them in the morning before school started.

As he closed his eyes and his heartbeat steadied, he thought of all the things he'd show the vampire once he got back. There were probably plenty of things that boy hadn't seen in his life now that it's been a thousand years since he'd even been to earth. It made him smile, and he drifted into his dreamscape.

~

Marshall leaned against the window of the castle's conference room. His patients was wearing thin, he knew Philip was just stalling him. The guy could be so annoying sometimes, for someone who remains quiet most of the time. Marshall couldn't stand him. Inside the small room at the oval table sat four figures, with Philip being the head. To the left of him was little Slime prince, and too his right sat The Ice Queen, more formally known as Sierra. Then there was Marshall.

"There is a reason I've called all of you here tonight. We have an issue with the realm above-"

"You mean earth?"

Slime prince interrupted. Philip turned to him, glaring quietly. The green figure of a boy closed his mouth. Sierra snickered.

"No.... above that. The third world, Eden."

The room grew silent. Everyone knew where this conversation was headed.

"As you all know, there has been an issue between our kind and the Angels for centuries. They like to remind us constantly, 'good doesn't mix with evil well.' Rumor has it that they've declared war on the Nightosphere and that they’ll strike soon, to claim the Nightosphere as part of the third world."

Sierra looked shocked.

"They can't do that, they'll rip everything apart! The third world would become the second world! Everything would plunge into-"

Philip placed a hand on her shoulder, and the boy heard a sizzle as the fire came in contact with the ice. Neither seemed to notice, but the atmosphere had changed.

"I know. That's why we can't let them win. I'd like to ask you, all of you, to join hands with my kingdom to fight for the freedom we deserve. If you don't except, I fear we may all perish."

Marshall felt his skin start to crawl. Exactly what had happened to this place while He was gone? Had everything fell to hell in a matter of days?

"I'll have every guard in my army fight for the realm we live in. They can't expect us to go down without a fight!”

Slime prince had risen to his feet, a smile on his face. His appearance made him look no older than 10, which was quite accurate.

"It will be nice to have my friends beside me again."

Sierra exhaled deeply.

"The ice kingdom too will join you as allies. I don't know where I'd be if not for this realm, so they can't take it away from me that easily."

She smiled too now, and everyone shared a mutual feeling of respect. Marshall didn't know what to say when every head turned to him.

"So, Marsh, what do you say?"

Phillip asked, his eyes lively. He gulped.

"S-sure... I'll fight. This was my home for a millennium wasn't it?"

Everyone laughed.

"I guess so."

This was it, the beginning of the three world's worst war in history. Eden was about to strike the Nightosphere, and Earth was going to get between it all if they couldn’t stop it.

Marshall was sure he had just signed his death warrant.

~

The rain came down in buckets. The wind howled through the blue tarp on Bubba's window. It was one hell of a storm that Friday morning.

**Mr. Hathaway  
(Cc all Students)  
Sent at 7:54 am**

Classes are canceled this morning. We are still deciding if school will continue in the afternoon, but will most likely be canceled today. Stay safe kids.

The teen stared up at his ceiling, and sighed. Fionna and him wouldn't be leaving the house today. On the bright side though, his mom will be coming home soon. Bubba decided that he'd get a quick picture of his window before it was repaired, so he could remember why it was broken. After it had been taken, he frowned.

Marshall broke it, but Marshall wasn’t there. Surely Bubba hadn't imagined his presence, there was too much evidence to prove that theory wrong. So where the hell was the vampire??

Bubba heard the front door unlock, and a pair of keys dangle as they were set on a table in the living room. His mother had come home.

"Mom..?"

He called, sitting up on his bed. He heard a shuffle of feet moving towards his bedroom, and he took a deep breath.

"Bubba? What are you still doing home?"

Bubba's mom opened the door, a hint of worry in her eyes. She didn't know about school. Her clothes were drenched in rain, and her hair was wind blown to heck.

"Classes were canceled."

Her eyes flicked towards the window, and she gasped.

"How the hell did this happen?"

She touched the tarp, a hard frown solidified on her face. It made Bubba slightly scared.

"Uhm..."

He struggled for an answer, why hadn't he thought of this in advance? He came to his feet and approached the window.

"To be honest, I don't know. I wasn't home when it happened. I was worried... I was worried someone had broken in, but turns out someone just threw a rock and didn't bother to own up to it."

That was a complete lie. He was home when it happened, and he knew exactly who broke in. But how do you tell your mother that a vampire had broken into your room with zero proof? Bubba's mom stepped back and groaned.

"Damn. I can't get this replaced until next week... sorry. You'll have to wait."

She patted his head and left his room.

"I'll be in my room for the next hour. I have a video conference so.... try to keep the noise down. Not that you will make much of that."

Bubba watched her disappear behind a closed door. He knew that since his father died, his mom paid less and less attention to him. It's because bubba looked almost exactly like his dad, that it physically hurt for her to look at him. He could understand that, but to an extent. He was still her responsibility after all.

The whole morning he clicked through essays and messages on his computer, letting hours go by without realizing. By the time it was twelve, he figured school wasn't going to let kids in, because the storm kept pouring. The rain was beating down on the roof, and the wind was screaming, causing the tarp to lash furiously. The boy closed his computer silently. He stood up, and pulled out an umbrella from his closet, stuffing his feet into a pair of old shoes. His mom wouldn't care where he went or how long he was gone. He kind of wished she would, and wished she'd set a curfew or a few rules at least, but she was just a ghost in this house. A soul that was left behind.

The moment he stepped foot outside, the wind nearly knocked him to the ground. He had to squint to protect his eyes from the freezing droplets of rain. His phone was tucked safely in his pocket, and his buds were already in his ears, listening to his music on shuffle. Bubba unfolded the umbrella, holding it above his head as he walked down the street. Well, it was more like battling the wind to him, and it hurt.

Bubba frowned sheepishly, finding a building to take cover under. He was soaked, even though the umbrella gave him shelter the whole time. It was a good thing, because it didn't look like he was crying. Bubba just looked like an idiotic teen who didn't bother to check the weather before going out. He didn't care however. He leaned against a pillar and closed his eyes.

He realized how poorly his mother had treated him since the accident. She was more than a ghost, she was a demon, finding all sorts of ways to let her son leave her site, and making up excuses not to care for him. He had to raise himself and eventually it drove him down such a deep hole he wouldn’t be able to get out of on his own.

He did have help though, he just didn’t realize it would come from a vampire.

Bubba wiped the skin under his eyes. The boy couldn't tell how he felt, it was all so confusing. The only time he'd ever cried was when his father died. Now that's all he seemed to do was cry and feel sorry for himself. The feeling of missing someone wasn't new, but the flutter in his heart was.

Bubba had a feeling for Marshall that he couldn't explain.

~

Marshall stared at Phillip from the balcony. He and Sierra had taken to mapping the grounds and planning routes for the deadly future that was to come. He didn't understand any of this; why fight if you are just going to die anyways? It's either than Angels kill you, or the universe rips apart.

Wait.

The universe means the three realms.

Bubba was on the first.

The boy felt sick. If he let the Angels claim the Nightosphere, then the fabric of all existence would rip, and everything will fall. He would let Bubba along with everyone on the earth die. What kind of monster was he?

Marshall tore himself away from the balcony and wandered into the castles library. He didn't really enjoy reading, or the smell of books, but he enjoyed the silence. It reminded him that the world still had a little peace, and that it didn't always have to be fought for. But he'd already made up his mind, he was going to help the kingdoms chase Eden's dwellers out. This was no place for beings of such "holy" standards. This was a place for cruel demons such as himself.

He touched the ancient covers of the books, not bothering to check the names or pull any out. He simply wanted to enjoy the silence that was this room. It was a vast Place with thousands of hardbacks and manuals. That was okay, one way or another he'd find his way out.

He wandered till his feet grew sore.

"Marshall?"

He heard a voice. Floating above the books, he saw slime prince at the front door.

"Oh..."

Marshall said, hovering over to him.

"Yea? What's up?"

Slime prince frowned. The kid before him was the youngest abomination in the Nightosphere. He was only twelve.

"I.... I want to ask you something."

The boys feet shuffled nervously, and Marshall's brow furrowed.

"Shoot."

He said, crossing his arms. Slime prince knitted his fingers together.

"Are you... scared?"

Oh. Of course. He's to young to fight. Marshall placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and smiled.

"I'll admit, I am a little. But you know what?"

He asked.

Slime prince tilted his head; The vampire smiled, gesturing for him to come close.

"I know we'll win, because we’re more brave than we are scared. As long as you stay hopeful, you'll be okay, I promise."

He gave Slime prince the bravest smile he could wear, but the boy's words had impacted Marshall hard. Did Phillip really need to ask him to fight? He knew that they needed as many allies as possible but... Is it really worth that much sacrifice?

Who was he kidding, of course it was worth it.

Slime Prince giggled, nodding.

"Okay."

Marshall watched as the kid bounced away, and his heart sank. He truly hoped what he had said would be true.

Maybe the Nightosphere wasn’t for cruel demons. Maybe it was for misunderstood, miserable souls who had the unfortunate future of becoming immortal.

~

Later, when bubba came home, the first thing he did was go into the bathroom to change. He was so wet, the umbrella was utterly useless. Looking for a new shirt, his eyes flicked to the mirror and he stared at his bare chest. Then up his neck, past his thin lips and tiny nose, and to his round eyes. There was always something about his eyes he didn't like. Maybe it was because they were so blue they felt cold, and cruel. He frowned at himself. The shirt he was looking for was quickly thrown on, and he finger combed his wet pink hair in attempted to untangle it. His mother walked into the living as he was trying to sneak away from her. What was the point, she hardly cared what he did at this point.

Bubba waited for her to say something, but not to his surprise she just kept going. Something inside him deflated, but the feeling wasn't new.

He debated whether or not he should say something to her, but his opportune window had closed.

The storm had calmed itself down when the sun set, so the only sound that emitted now was the dripping of water droplets from his gutter to the pavement below. Bubba exhaled gently and curled into a ball on his bed, closing his eyes slowly. That day had been one of the slowest days of his life. It was probably third in line, compared to the other two in his past. They weren't too special to think about, so Bubba squinted while trying to think of something else. He thought about Fionna.

He sat up again and pulled out his phone.

**20:38  
Message From Bubba Gumball**

Hru this evening?

He waited for an answer, but the silence seemed worse than before. What worries the teen was that Fionna almost always answered.

Finally his phone buzzed again.

**20:50  
Message From Fionna Mertens**

I can't talk rn. Cake, Mom and I r in the living room. She's very sick, & we can't take her 2 the vet until tomorrow.

He frowned. The boy knew that cake didn't have much time left.

**20:51  
Message From Bubba Gumball**

Oh.... well I hope 4 the best. Goodnight.

He closed out the app and powered it down. The sun had fully set now, and his room was only illuminated by the blue light of the street lamps. He didn't know how to react to anything that was happening. It was like the highway to Heaven for the past month, with Marshall falling into his life, and Fionna getting back in touch, but then all of it fell away.

Bubba hugged his knees. There was nowhere he could go and nothing he could do.

He felt utterly helpless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this work can receive 30 kuddos, I will write a bonus chapter featuring Phillip and Fionna!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

Marshall found Sierra wandering down the halls that morning, her fingers touching the wall paper and causing it to crinkle up, her frost spreading to the ceiling. She giggled.

"Sierra?"

He said, standing behind her. The queen jumped and whipped her head around holding out her hands defensively, exhaling deeply when she realized that the vampire was not Phillip nor an angry Angel of Eden.

"What do you want Marshall?”

She asked in a sassy tone.

He looked down at her feet and reconsidered his question. Was she really the right person for this job?

"I need to ask you a favor. And if you keep it, I'll return you a favor in the future."

She pursed her lips, her ice cold eyes shifting colors of blue. It was somewhat pretty.

"And what is this favor you want to ask of me?"

She said, placing her hands on her hips. Marshall cleared his throat.

"Slime prince is too young to fight, and I know you've already guessed that. So if the fight gets too intense, please take him somewhere safe. I promised him he'd be okay. He's scared Sierra."

There was a small moment when he thought he saw a little hint of sympathy in her expression, but if he did. It was quickly replaced by pride.

"Pfft, I can do that easy peasy, but you know Marshall of your gonna make promises you can't keep--"

Marshall grabbed her shoulders and gripped hard, causing the woman before him to cry out.

"I swear to you, you better take care of him, or you'll have a bigger problem then babysitting on your hands."

Sierra shut her mouth and sealed her lips tight. She gave a curt nod, and Marshall let her go. She rubbed her shoulders.

"Why can't you just watch him? Aren't you fighting too?"

She asked. Marshall grit his teeth.

"I won't be here when the first part of the fight unfolds. I'm going to Phillip and demand a portal back to earth right after I finish explaining what will happen to you. Now are you ready to listen or am I wasting my time?"

She nodded, still scared to speak.

"Good. I'm going back to earth to explain myself to a human I've... I've grown close to. That's the only reason for me to fight, is so the universe doesn't collapse on top of him."

He blinked a couple times, feeling something stir in his chest. It wasn't a heart beat, his pulse had stopped long ago.

"The war should have started by the time I've finished with him, so when I get here the first wave will already be over. I trust Phillip to give it all he's got on the first round, because I know he's dependent on me to throw the last punch. Like I said, if it gets too extreme, please take Slime Prince away. I don't want him to get hurt."

A terrible image of the kid's dead body on the ground flashed through Marshall's head, and he almost gagged. Sierra was more intent to hear the rest, so the vampire continued.

"I'll be back to finish them off, and then I'll be returning to earth with the human. If you need a favor, come to Phillip for a portal, and ask me yourself. And remember, it can't be any higher than the favor I asked of you."

He finished. It felt good to let it all out to at least someone, even if it was Sierra. She began to smile sincerely, and she let her hands slowly fall to her side.

"Okay Marsh. I except."

The boy nodded, turning back the way he came.

"Good luck Sierra."

He said, leaving the hallway. As he had assumed, Phillip was in the throne room.

"Phillip I have something I need to ask of you!"

Marshall yelled from the top of the stairs. The Flaming Prince looked up and smiled.

"Hey Marshall! What do you need?"

The black haired boy floated down to Phillip and crossed his arms upon landing.

"I am a king, so you are under my rule, and you are my friend, and a prince, so therefore whatever I say you must do, correct?"

Phillip's eyebrows furrowed, and he nodded.

"Well,"

Marshall started.

"You will open a portal to earth. I command you."

Phillip growled in frustration.

"You cannot leave the Nightosphere, I already told you-"

"Phillip will you just shut up and listen to my reason for once?!”

Marshall yelled. Phillip's expression became afraid, just like Sierra. Honestly Marshall wondered why he didn't do this before.

"I will be back to fight, but there is someone on earth who believe it or not is very important to me, and he is lost and upset and I think we both brought out the best in each other. When you took me away from earth I left him there clueless and probably upset, so it is vital that I get up there and explain what happened to me! After I do that I'll come back and fight but you cannot keep me here against my will. I have every right to pass down leadership and live my afterlife the way I want, and what I want is to be happy on earth!"

The feeling in his chest grew.

"Sure I have to use an umbrella to guard myself from the sun, and I have to hunt every now and then, or I have to look away when he gets hurt, but dammit it's worth my life if it makes me happy!"

The boy before Marshall's expression softened. He understood.

"Very well Sire. Come with me."

Marshall exhaled deeply. He organized what he would say to Bubba as he followed Phillip.

“Wow.. okay.”

Flame Prince had led him down a different hallway and to a locked door at the end of the hallway.

"I had a feeling you would try to go back to earth. I didn't know why at first but.... you matter to me, and if being there makes you happy I won't hold you from it."

He formed a key from the flames in his hair, and unlocked the chains around the handle and pushed it open. A neon purple light hit his eyes, and he had to squint to see into the room. There were no lights on, and the glow came from a portal on the floor.

A portal to earth.

"I know you'll be back, so I won't spend time with goodbyes, but I hope your friend will understand what happened to you. You can tell him it was my fault."

Phillip placed his hand on Marshall's shoulder and smiled weakly.

"And Marshall.... stay safe."

The vampire placed his hand over top of Phillip's warm one, and he nodded.

"See you soon."

Marshall closed his eyes and fell forward into the cloud of purple.

~

Bubba dragged himself into the bathroom to shower before school started. He hadn't slept well that night, so of course it effected him in the morning. His mother was going to come home from work in a few hours, not that it really mattered anyways.

The bread had grown stale since the last time he made toast. There was nothing he could eat in the house, except for a couple cheese sticks in the fridge. He sighed and peeled one open, taking a bite off the top.

Not as bad as he thought it would taste, luckily.

Suddenly there was a loud sound that came from his bedroom, followed by a groan. His pulse flared up.

Marshall?

He dropped the cheese stick on the counter and his bag next to his chair.

"Ouch."

It was him.

Bubba ran towards the door that was only a couple feet away, and swung it open with a heavy amount of eagerness. On the floor beside the bed, with a box of tissues and his pencil case adorning the wood, was Marshall sprawled in what appeared to be a very uncomfortable version of the Fetus position.

He rose to his feet and brushed himself off, shaking his head. Bubba had to blink a few times to make sure it was real.

The vampire lifted his head, and their eyes met.

"You're here!"

Marshall exclaimed. Bubba inched forward, reaching a hand out. The boy placed it on his chest, and felt the dead silence of a non-beating heart. It was him.

Suddenly, Marshall was in a tight hug, and bubba had his face pressed tightly to the other boy's shirt.

"Jeez Bubba, I wasn't gone that long was I?"

He heard the pink haired boy sniffle, and Marshall tried to lift his face up to view it. There were tears in his eyes.

"Are you playing with me?"

He asked, teeth gritted as to not sob. Marshall frowned.

"No, I'm not. I-"

"God dammit, humans are fragile, especially me! You can't just leave me and expect I'll be fine!"

Marshall felt a sore spot in his throat. The same feeling he'd felt in the castle on the first night staying there.

"Bubba, it wasn't a choice I got to make."

He saw the teen's expression change from sad to confused; the vampire sighed, patting the bed.

"Sit, it's a long story."

As soon as both boys were sitting, Marshall began explaining to Bubba of how he was taken back into his realm by a servant/prince named Phillip. He explained the war that was going on between Eden and the Nightosphere, and how if it wasn't stopped than everything would fall apart. He talked about his friends, and the ice queen, and his world, and how in the end he'd convinced Phillip to send him back to earth. Bubba looked even more confused if anything, but he nodded.

"I see."

Marshall bit his lip.

"The war begins in a few days, so I have to return to the Nightosphere soon, but after that I get too stay here forever."

He smiled, knowing this might cheer the other boy up. But Bubba was expressionless. He wasn't saying anything.

"Bubba...?"

A deep inhale came from the pink haired boy. Marshall gulped.

"...I know it’s not my place, but could I come with you?”

Bubba mumbled. The vampire coughed.

"W-what? You want to come to the Nightosphere?"

The boy nodded, standing up.

"Yes. I don't want you to leave like that again, You have been the single most eventful thing that has.... has happened to me, and I enjoy it."

Bubba felt his fingers start to shake. It was true, Marshall was very daring and lively, and he felt like that had made him a better person. At least, better than before.

Marshall smiled widely.

"You know, you're right. I can't ask you to just sit here again while I go save the world my friend. You should be helping me."

Bubba stared up at the vampire, a smile on his lips.

"Thank you..."

He said.

Marshall rose to his feet and stood before the shelves of vinyls, his narrow grey fingers picking through each cover. Bubba was about to ask him why, when he pulled one out and gave it to him.

"Can we play this one?"

He asked, tapping his foot against the wood. Bubba scratched the back of his neck.

"Well... only one song. My mom will be home soon, and I'm already gonna be late for class..."

The pink haired boy took the CD from Marshall, slipping it out of its case and pressing it against the flat surface of the record player. He placed the needle in the grooves and hit play.

A soft piano began playing a shy tune in the background, and a set of drums gave the rhythm that added a special feeling. Marshall loved it.

He grabbed Bubba's hands, and wrapped one of his arms around the others waist. The pink haired boy let out a squeak, his face burning different shades of crimson. Marshall was trying to get him to dance.

"W-wait, I can't-"

The vampire pressed his bony finger to Bubba's thin lips, telling him to be quiet.

"Just follow me."

A male voice started to sing over the instruments.

 _Guess it's true, I'm not good at a one night stand_  
But I still need love 'cause I'm just a man  
These nights never seem to go to plan...  
I don't want you to leave will you hold my hand?

Bubba found himself resting his head against the crook of Marshall's neck, listening to the sorry voice of Sam Smith as he sang of an unknown lover. He'd never really liked the artist until that morning.

Marshall smiled down at bubba, wishing that he had a heartbeat that could tell the boy how he felt. It was a lot harder to confess yourself when you weren't alive.

 _Oh won't you stay with me?_  
'Cause you're all I need  
This ain't love it's clear to see...  
But darlin' stay with me

Bubba hadn't felt this lightheaded since he day his father had passed. There was a different reasoning to his dizziness this time, but he could still feel the blood pounding in his skull.

He remembered when they first met, and how terrified he was of Marshall before they had known each other.

He hoped that would never happen again.

A few minutes of them making small circles around Bubba’s room, and the song was slowly drawing to it's end; Marshall realized he'd have to let Bubba go when it did. He didn't want to just yet.

Bubba felt the vampire's fingers underneath his neck, and there was pressure that caused him to look up. Marshall's eyes were like two bright stars, shining with such life that Bubba couldn't believe he was undead. The piano was all that could be heard now, and it was okay, the singing did its job.

Suddenly, Marshall pressed his lips against Bubba's. He didn't move, and was afraid to mess up. He'd never kissed anyone before.

But Gumball's tension had now released, and he was kissing him back.

The pink haired boy's lips were so warm and soft, and his hair was silky and thick. Marshall's fingers were wrapped in the tendrils of the pink strands, gripping them tight enough to hold on.

Bubba's arms were bound strongly around the vampire's waist, hands crawling up his back, shirt going with them. His skin was cold and hard, but he could feel Marshall shivering.

Marshall loved how Bubba tasted. Ever since he'd learned his last name, he wondered what it would be like to drink his blood. He betted that it tasted like candy, hence the hair and name. Although it wasn't the blood he tasted, his breath was mind consuming. He felt the palm's of the other boy's hands finding their way up his back, and he shuttered feeling the warmth tingle his flesh. He wanted them to explore every inch, and leave him feeling warmer than ever.

They couldn't let each other go. The song had stopped, and the record player just sank into background static noise, but they didn't need music to love like this.

Bubba realized this is what he'd been feeling all along. The flutter in his heart, the shortness of breath, the swelling in his chest. He loved Marshall, more than any living thing on earth.

Marshall had been trying to get his attention since that day at Bubba's school. He wanted the pink haired boy to like him, since no one else did. He wanted a friend, but also a mate, one that would love him for him. He didn't realize how much he'd felt that way for Bubba until the minute their lips met.

But the human couldn't breath, so he broke away from Marshall, gasping and panting. He pressed his head into the vampire's shirt and retracted his hands until they were safely on his hips again. Marshall let his arms hang on Bubba's shoulders since they had already left his hair.

".... _woah_.."

Bubba breathed. Marshall nodded, his lips still parted.

The two just stood there for a minute, bubba trying to regain his posture and Marshall trying to remember what he was going to say. But once they both had done so, they separated. The vampire grabbed the CD off the record player, slipping it back into the case and fitting it on the shelf where it was before. Bubba fell back onto his bed and closed his eyes.

"Do you... like me bubba?"

Marshall asked.

The pink haired boy's heart was beating wildly. He knew the answer.

"Yeah, I do."

It was a simple reply, maybe not the most sincere or poetic, but the truth was conveyed and that's all that mattered. He knew what love felt like, but not like this, not until their encounter.

"But I'm still learning how express it..."

Bubba confessed. Marshall laughed suddenly, feeling head over heels for once in his life. Well... afterlife. He'd never felt this way before, but he liked it. The vampire was right to think that His best friend brought out the best in him.

"I like you too, Gumball."

The pink haired boy groaned.

"You gonna tease me forever about that?"

He sat up, dragging his palm down his leg. Marshall dropped himself down next to Bubba and grabbed his shoulders with his right arm, squeezing him playfully.

"Maybe not forever, but for a little while."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this work can receive 30 kuddos, I will write a bonus chapter featuring Phillip and Fionna!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is another two chapters! It’s close to ending, next week will be when I post the last two :(

Chapter 5

Bubba had left for school about fifteen minutes after their conversation ended. He warned Marshall about his mother and how she didn't usually make noise or leave her room. The vampire detected a hint of sadness in the way he talked about his mother, and noted it. There was much he could do without the pink haired teen in his house. If he listened to music, Bubba's mother would hear it. If he left the house, he'd probably loose track of time and freak his friend out. Marshall was already bored just sitting there staring at the shelves of vinyls.

He decided to explore the house for a bit.

The vampire heard the front door open, and the clatter of metal hitting wood in the living room. His mother.

He got up quick, peering out from behind the bedroom door.

Marshall frowned when he saw her.

Bubba and his mom were nothing alike. First of all, her hair was dirty blonde, not pink, although he didn't expect it to be pink. Her sunken brown eyes looked sleep deprived and depressed, and her cheek bones were high up on her face, although the skin below it kinda sagged a bit with old age. She had a couple freckles and she wasn't tall, and her face was heart shaped. Her hooked nose reminded Marshall oddly of Sierra. Bubba was almost the opposite of this sad women, if not for the one thing; They both had short shoulders.

However that feature was a little underwhelming.

Just like Bubba said, she grabbed something from the fridge and and left down the other hallway, probably to her room. Marshall stepped outside of the other boy's room, letting out a sharp exhale.

The first thing that caught his eye was the mantle in the living room. It wasn't like any fireplace he'd seen, there was a fence guarding the wood behind it, and it was covered in dust. There were a couple square frames along the wood of the shelf above the pit, all displaying pictures of a boy with blonde hair and striking blue eyes. He realized it must be a younger version of Bubba.

He took one and smiled, staring at his happy expression and bright smile. He could see the resemblance.

Marshall looked up to see another photo of three people; Bubba's mother, Bubba, and another man. A man that looked exactly like the pink haired boy.

Oh, that must’ve been Mr. Gumball.

There was a picture like this one on His friend's record shelf, with just him and his father. He must've really loved him.

Marshall had never met his parents before, so he couldn't feel much sympathy or regret, but he knew that Bubba was hurting. The vampire set the photo down and moved away from the mantle.

Their family kitchen was cute, white walls with black cabinets, and wooden floors. He'd never been in a kitchen as small as this, but then again he only had one kitchen in the castle that was built for a royal family. He'd never really bothered to go into it, he hunted for his food.

Marshall ran his fingers along the smooth countertops, smiling as he did. They probably never spent any time in here, but they might have once. He could feel the older memories within the walls.

The house wasn't large at all. The only other rooms were Bubba's mother's room and another small room down the hallway with no significant value. That didn't matter though, two living people called this place home, so it didn't need to be of a bigger size.

Marshall hoped he could have a place like that someday.

~

Bubba leaned against his locker, both buds in his ears. Kids walked past him with hands in their pocket, silent conversations and compliments leaving their lips. It was a small community of groups that all fit in somewhere.

Bubba didn't know if he fit in with anyone, but he'd never bothered to look either.

The pink haired boy suddenly thought about Fionna and pulled out his phone.

**13:03  
Message From Bubba Gumball**

R u @ school today?

Maybe he could talk to her, just to see how she's doing. The reply came fast.

**13:03  
Message From Fionna Mertens**

Yea, y?

**13:04  
Message From Bubba Gumball**

Do u think u could skip ur next class 2 talk?

Bubba didn't know when he'd started using shortcuts to text. It wasn't a very important question, nor did it matter much, but it was a question that had made him think for a while before.

**13:04  
Message From Fionna Mertens**

I guess...? Where do u want 2 meet?

**13:04  
Message From Bubba Gumball**

Bus stop or courtyard, u can pick

He hoped she'd say bus stop. He didn't plan to come back for his last class, since he'd already missed most of the day. If he continued to skip, they'd alert his mom. She'd give him a warning and she'd make sure he did go to school, but it wouldn't be a huge deal. He'd also fail his grade and he'd get held back, which believe it or not didn't really frighten him as much as it should.

**13:05  
Message From Fionna Mertens**

Bus stop. Someone might see us if we use the courtyard

The bell rang. Before he was caught, the boy ran for the door, pushing his way through crowds and gasping when someone stepped on his toes. He kept going.

The sun was shining very bright that afternoon. Bubba had to squint to see, but regardless it was nice to see a change in the weather.

Fionna came walking down the pavement, her white hat giving her away from a distance. There was a difference in the way she walked though... less bouncy than before. That was the first red flag.

She approached Bubba, and he could tell there was definitely something wrong. The bags under her usually bright eyes were huge.

"Jeez Fionna, you look awful... no offense."

Bubba dug his thumbs into his pockets, a concerned look crossing his face. She bit her lip.

"Yeah... it hasn't been the best week."

They both sat down at the stop.

"What do you mean? Did something happen?"

He asked, feeling a bit confused. She never acted this way. Never. Suddenly, a tear fell down her face, and she slapped a hand to her mouth. Bubba gasped.

"Oh god,"

He said, hugging her to his chest. A sob erupted from her throat, and she shuttered violently, alarming bubba quite a bit.

"Shhhh,"

He whispered, rubbing her back gently.

"It's okay, it'll be okay... you can tell me anything you know?"

He hoped whatever it was wouldn't be permanent. It was truly painful to see his friend like this. Another depressing wail came From Fionna, and she pressed into him tighter.

"M-mom says she g-got a job in California... she sa-says we move in a month..."

She was gasping for air on certain words, and it hurt for the pink haired boy to hear.

"Then Cake g-got really sick, and sh-she wouldn't leave her bed and.... they put her down, she's gone bubba..."

His heart shattered, and she cried harder still. Fionna was going to leave. She was broken, and where had he been? The past weeks had rocketed past for sure, but he couldn't even spare a little time to call her or visit her. He'd let their friendship crumble to dust.

"Fionna in so sorry... I don't know what to say. So you're going to leave?"

He asked. It was stupid, he regretted saying it. But it was too late to take it back. She grabbed a fist full of his shirt and clenched it hard, holding back whatever was inside of her, but Bubba kept reminding her that it would be okay.

"Yes. W-we leave in a month."

She said, backing away from him. She wiped her eyes and faced the ground. It made the boy nervous.

"It's going to be a long term thing. I won't be ba-ack for a couple years."

Fionna was trying to be strong but Bubba knew she was afraid. It wasn’t easy for her to make friends, that's why they only had each other. Well there was this one boy in middle school with a last name Lemon something, he couldn't remember anything except how annoying and dependent he was.

"Well... what would you like me to do?"

He asked, reaching for her again, but she moved away. His arm stopped.

Was she rejecting him?

"I'm sorry Bubba. It'll hurt to much."

That's all she said. He knew there was more that could've been, but things almost never go as plan, so he remained silent.

Eventually, she rose to her feet and walked back to school, but bubba lingered. The boy felt nauseous and light headed, so it was best I'd he didn't move.

The bus pulled in a little after he regained a little bit of his composure. The doors opened for him, and the usual attendant was at the wheel. They waved to each other absentmindedly, and the boy moved to the back, sitting with his head leaning on the window. The sun still shone brightly, and when Bubba closed his eyes, the color he saw was red instead of black. He placed a bud in each ear and sighed heavily.

~

Marshall nearly fell off the couch when he heard the front door unlocking. School must've released Bubba, he didn't expect him to be back so early. Maybe he was just imagining things.

He jumped up from the cushion and straightened his hair, watching it swing ajar. The sunlight was coming through the opening, and it just barely stopped at his feet, if it had gone any further the vampire might've been in agony, crawling and squirming away from it on the wooden floors. He smiled as bubba removed his buds and placed them in his pocket, but it disappeared when he saw the disheveled look of his friend's face.

It was like looking at a broken window, thousands of cracks in the face of the pane, and a million different pieces of glass shards were missing from the center. The only reason for feeling this way would be if someone had struck you.

Marshall was tempted to run through the sunlight and enfold Bubba in his arms, but it probably wouldn't do either of them any favors.

The pink haired boy sighed and stared up at him, his pale blue eyes lacking the wonder and fire he'd seen plenty of times before. A pang of sadness traveled up Marshall's spine, and he held out his hand. He heard the noise of flesh bubbling and melting, and felt the burning pain in his numbing fingers, but he didn't care.

Bubba did however.

The boy before him ran towards him, pushing the vampire out of the sunlight.

"You idiot!"

He yelled, as if scolding Marshall. His frown turned even more at the corners that it was before.

"I know you are probably worried about me, but you don't have to fry yourself just to be nice. I'm not that upset, but yeah I'm not feeling to good."

He turned back to the front door and closed it, sliding the lock into its place. Bubba's mother had left for work an hour ago, so they were the only ones in the house, just like before. Only this time it felt a little different.

"Can I ask, what happened?"

Marshall crossed his arms and hugged his ribs tightly. He wanted to do something to help his friend, but bubba wasn't really the affectionate type. There was something that had happened to him long ago, but he couldn't piece together what.

Bubba sighed, removing his shoes and backpack by his bedroom door.

"An old friend of mine is going through a lot recently... she isn't coping well. I tried to help her but, she didn't want it."

He closed his eyes briefly, pinching the bridge of his nose. Marshall had no idea that the pink haired boy even had any friends, not that he isn't good at making any, he just doesn't try hard.

"Oh... yikes. Do you need some space? Or..."

The vampire was internally beating himself for his stupidity. It was almost if he had nothing left human in him... which was probably true.

"No no, it's fine. I'll say goodbye to her, and she'll meet better people than I. She needs them more than she needs me."

Bubba interrupted Marshall's thoughts. It wasn't the statement he was expecting, but at least he didn't seem all that troubled.

"You are sure you're alright? I don't like it when you're upset."

Marshall asked. The boy nodded, and managed a small smile, sitting down on his bed. He patted the spot beside him.

"I'm alright. It'll pass."

The vampire came beside him, inclining his head towards the ceiling. He saw a square piece of paper with a picture on it of bubba with a blond haired girl. They looked happy.

"Is that the friend you were talking about a second ago?"

He asked. His friend nodded, sighing. There were arms around his ribs and shoulders, and he realized the boy was hugging him. Marshall smiled and leaned his head on Bubba's shoulder, closing his eyes.

"I like living here."

He said aloud. He felt the boy next to him nod again, and the both fell back against the bed.

~

Marshall didn't sleep that night. He never slept, according to the vampire. But he stayed there the whole night, flicking his gaze between Bubba, the ceiling and the window from the evening to early morning. There would be no school that day, so the pink haired boy didn't even have to get out of bed if he didn't want to.

But that's not how his day went.

His stomach growled impatiently, urging him to eat breakfast and be human. His nose was running, probably because he had wandered around in the rain too much the other night, so he massaged the skin under his ears. Bubba couldn't remember exactly what it did, but it was something his father had taught him.

After getting something slightly filling from the kitchen (an apple) and wandering around the living room for a bit, Marshall decided he'd get up as well instead of waiting for bubba to return. They made eye contact, and the vampire smiled.

"I have a question for you,"

He said, taking the pink haired boy's hand and lacing his fingers between the others. Bubba's brow raised in suspicion.

"What's up?"

He asked. Marshall let their hands fall towards the ground and go limp, but he didn't let go. There was an amazing pulse of warmth in his grey skin.

"What happened with your father?"

He asked. A little ball dropped inside of Bubba, and he felt his stomach start knitting itself together. The vampire knew he had hit a soft spot, but their entire friendship had been dampened for this recurring problem.

"Uhm..."

He said, his tongue running dry.

"I don't know what you mean?"

Marshall sighed, hugging the other boy to his chest and squeezing his hand tightly.

"I know something bad happened, I can see it in your eyes whenever I mention your music or you look at these pictures,"

The vampire gestured to the abundant mantle of photos.

"So before I effect you anymore by saying the wrong thing, I want to know what happened."

He answered.

Bubba inhaled gently, his cheek pressed against Marshall's shoulder. He knew the boy meant well.

"...okay."

The vampire smiled, moving his hand up to pet Bubba’s hair in a comforting way.

"Thank you. I mean it, really."

Bubba nodded and gulped down the uncertainty in his throat. No more hiding.

"Well, my dad meant everything to me. He was always there for me, including when my mom wasn't. He was my idol, and my best friend."

Bubba started choking up.

"One day though, he had to go pick my mom up from work, because the bus was down and her car was being inspected. They were both gone for a long time, and the babysitter was getting worried. I couldn't understand what was happening, I wasn't old enough to. But later that night my mom returned and paid her, and she looked at me. Only this time she was glaring at me instead of smiling."

He could still see her angry face now, pure hatred radiating from her body. The boy didn't know why his mother hated him so much, other than his looks.

"It was really late, and I remember being tired. My dad and mom usually always spent a little time with me before bed, but she just set me in my sheets and close the door. My dad never came home that night. I remember in the morning these men came to my house and took my hand. They told me that everything was going to be okay, that my mom would be the only one taking care of me from now on. I kept asking, 'where's dad?' Or 'why didn't anyone tuck me in last night?'. Then my mother told them to leave and she pulled me by my hand into the kitchen. She handed me a damn fruit cup and said, 'Daddy died last night. Another man hit him really hard with his car and he got crushed. Now eat your breakfast and goplay with your toys or something.'"

Bubba felt the tears stream down his face, remembering the painful memory. He wiped them away with the sleeve of his shirt, and inhaled deeply.

What kind of mother does that?

"He was gone for good, and that broke me. My mother didn't look at me at the funeral, when she took me to school, or when we went shopping, or even now when she comes home from work. I think part of the reason now I'm so out of contact with the world is the way she acts, it's rubbed off on me. I hate her, but I'm becoming more and more like her everyday."

Marshall had known it was bad, but didn't expect this. He didn't know what to say to sympathize. He felt a little tremor go through the other boy's body, and he rocked them both side to side.

"Why do you collect vinyls?"

He asked instead. Bubba smiled shyly.

"My dad used to collect them all the time. Music was our thing, and when he died I just took them all from his room. My mom wanted to sell them, but I didn't feel like you could put a price tag on memories."

He made something so simple sound poetic, which was truly beautiful, and sad at the same time.

"Wow...."

He answered, pulling back to wipe Bubba's tears. The warmth of his skin left Marshall dizzy.

"That is probably the sweetest thing I've ever heard. Then again I've heard hardly nothing but battle strategies and complaints for the thousand years I've been a vampire."

The pink haired boy chuckled, blinking the water from his eyes and sniffling quietly. That's when Marshall knew exactly what to say.

"Oh and Bubba? You are nothing like your mother in my opinion."

~

Once again, the two were playing around with a few songs off of Bubba's Music shelf, making up silly dances and mocking each other when they got embarrassed. They did that the whole day, laughing, sliding in their socks, grabbing each other hands for balance, and being huge dorks.

Then a small portal formed at the corner of the bed, knocking them both to the side. Phillip poked his head out of it, but something was wrong.

He looked worried, a little fearful flame in his eyes. His hair was burning a very dark orange, which only burned that way when there was something really upsetting him. When Phillip was afraid, everyone should be.

"Phillip? What's wrong?"

Marshall asked. He was shaking.

"It's starting Marshall,"

He replied, looking behind himself.

"The war."

That wasn't right. It wasn’t supposed to start for another couple of days.

"Are you sure?"

The vampire asked, skirting his eyes to Bubba. He couldn't read his expression, which was quite frustrating. The flaming prince nodded furiously, and held out his hand.

"Please help us, we'll die if you don't."

Marshall sighed, frowning unpleasantly.

"Leave the portal open, We'll be there in a little bit, I have to talk to bubba."

He gestured to the human beside him. Phillip turned his eyes and managed a small smile, but it was gone a second later.

"It's nice to meet you. Please hurry, I'm afraid something terrible will happen..."

A scream came from behind him. He flicked his weary gaze backwards, and disappeared.

Bubba looked at Marshall, a crease between his eyebrows. The vampire crossed his arms and thought for a moment.

"If they die and the Angels take over the Nightosphere, the universe will rip itself apart... I have to help. But I don't want you getting hurt, so I want you to stay here. Can you do that for me?"

Bubba looked disbelieving.

"No, if you go, then I'm going with you. No exceptions."

Marshall groaned at how stubborn the pink haired boy was.

"But I can't guarantee your safety there!"

He protested, pleading with his friend to not go.

Bubba shook his head.

"Then don't. I'll just be away from all the fighting, but I still want to come with you."

Marshall grit his teeth, exhaling through them. He let go of his arms and let his hands drop to his sides, relaxing.

"Fine. But if you get so much as this close to me while I'm fighting,"

He pointed from one wall of his room to the other,

"I'll throw you back through that portal."

Bubba chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"Okay, geez."

Suddenly, Marshall grabbed Bubba into a hug, resting the top of his head on the other boy's shoulders. This might be their last hug for a while; he didn't know how long the war would last.

Hopefully it wasn't too long.

"Well come on, you heard your friend. They're in trouble."

Bubba said. Marshall nodded, staring at the portal just hanging over his friend’s bed. He grabbed the boy's hand and squeezed it gently.

"On the count of three."

They both nodded.

"One, two..."

Three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this work can recieve 30 kuddos, I will write a bonus chapter featuring Phillip and Fionna!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

The feeling of dread weighed on Bubba's shoulders. It smelled like death in that corridor.

"Oh my god..."

Marshall clapped a hand over his mouth, stumbling forward. Pools of red and gold gathered in certain corners of the room, and disassembled limbs littered the floor, so awful that the boy had to look away.

He feared they were too late.

"Stay behind me,"

The vampire whispered, taking his hand and stepping forward. They had to weave their way between the corpses in that room.

Marshall came into a long winding hallway with thousands of doors each a couple feet from each other. There were a few more bodies in here as well, but it wasn't as gruesome as before.

Still made Bubba sick though.

"If they were still alive, they'd be in the conference room,"

He said, pulling the pink haired boy past the dozens of rooms in the castle.

"How do you know that?"

He asked, tripping over and uneven piece of wood. He regained his balance quickly.

"I can just feel it-"

Marshall stopped. He was looking down at the ground, his eyes blank pits. Bubba followed his gaze to a puddle of a green substance of some kind.

He got the feeling that it was remains of someone important to his friend.

"Marshall? Who is that?"

He watched with a churning nervousness in his stomach as the vampire grey furious.

"Doesn't matter right now."

He answered, clamping his grip tighter around Bubba's hand. He resisted the urge to cry as he pulled him along again, faster than before. They flew through the hallway and down a staircase at an alarming speed, causing Bubba to do a lot more than just trip. Finally, they came to a door, with a light underneath. There was whispering inside.

"...Don't know what we are supposed to do Sierra, Marshall hasn't arrived yet-"

The vampire kicked the door in, causing whoever was inside to scream and fall backwards. He stepped inside and glared down at them, the red in his eyes burning as bright as the flames on Phillip's head.

"You _promised_ ,"

He said, looking down to the person who had fallen backwards. She was the complete opposite of Phillip, with snowy white long hair, deep blue skin, ice cold eyes and jagged long eyebrows. Her nails looked sharper than knives, and her dress was stained with one shade of gold.

She was afraid of Marshall, he could see it.

"You promised you would protect him. You promised you would take him away from here if needed. Dammit Sierra you promised!"

He jumped on her, grabbing her wrists with one hand and her hair was pulled in his other. She screamed louder than before, and Phillip's flames fanned higher. He tried to pull Marshall off her, but his grip was like steel.

"W-Wait please! I tried to protect him! Marshall!"

She cried. Her tears came down, but froze into ice on her cheeks and fell to the floor. Marshall's fangs were bared, dangerously close to her throat.

"Please stop!"

Bubba had never guessed this kind of thing would happen. He didn't even know what was going on, or who the enemy was in this situation. So he just grabbed the collar of Marshall's shirt and yanked hard. His attention diverted, then he watched the fire die down in his friend's eyes.

He hugged Marshall's head to his chest gently, looking down at the woman they called Sierra.

"What did you do to make him so mad?"

The boy asked. She looked a little confused at first, but she sat up eventually.

"He... he asked me to protect his friend. But I didn't...."

He remembered the green substance in the hallway. It was probably Marshall's friend's remains.

He felt Marshall twitch in his grasp, and he shook his head, getting down on his knees and grabbed his grey cheeks. He frowned, seeing a bit of that previous anger still lingering in his eyes.

"Listen, Marsh, I know what she did was wrong, but she is not the enemy right now. You are fighting a war, you can be mad later."

Bubba looked up at Phillip, and he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Where are the Angels by the way?"

Just as the words left his mouth, he heard a battle cry from outside the castle, and felt a tremor groan up the walls.

Phillip stepped away from the window, his flames burning brightly.

"They are still here."

He answered. The boy let go of Marshall's head, standing up and crossing his arms. The vampire did the same soon after, followed by Sierra. Everyone was standing now.

"So... what's the plan?"

Bubba was the first to speak. Phillip stared at Sierra, a question in his eyes. The girl's eyes widened, and she shook her head.

"No, not while there is a human here at least!"

She said, looking at Bubba fearfully. Phillip sighed.

"We can find a way to keep them separated until the effects wear off..."

Marshall growled.

"We are standing right in front of you dumbass, got something to say?"

He said. Phillip and Sierra were now standing beside each other, and the flaming boy was rubbing his shoulder.

"Marshall, I need you to come with me. You have to leave your friend behind with Sierra, but only for a little bit. Bubba, She will explain what's going on as soon as we leave."

He said. Marshall stepped in front of the pink haired boy, baring his fangs again.

"Yeah right, like I'm going to leave him with the same person who killed Slime."

He spat. Sierra looked uncomfortable, hiding behind the strands of her hair. Phillip placed his hand on the vampire's shoulder, his expression desperate.

"You trust me, don't you?"

He asked. Marshall looked back at Bubba, a crease forming between his brows.

"...yes.."

He replied hesitantly.

"Then I need you to do as I say. It's very important and vital to our survival."

Marshall, very slowly, stepped away from his friend.

"Fine."

He muttered. The vampire turned to Bubba, wrapping his arms around him and pressing his cheek to the other's. His lips touched the shell of the other boy's ear.

"Stay here,"

He whispered, and pulled back. The boy squeezed Bubba's hands, and turned to Phillip.

"Lead the way,"

He said, opening the door to the conference room.

Once they both had gone, Sierra released a huge breath that she'd probably been holding the whole time. She pulled out one of the chairs at the table and gestured to it, asking him to sit.

"I promise, everything will be okay."

She reassured him. Bubba bit his lip, but took a seat and let his elbow rest again the granite.

"Okay, I guess I'd better start at the beginning."

The frosty girl sat beside the boy, brushing the hair out of her eyes. She was frowning.

"Marshall made me promise to take care of a little 10 year old boy named Slime Prince. Well... we didn't actually know his real name, he didn't have one, so we kept calling him the prince of slime and he took it. Anyways, the Angels were knocking down the doors, and I didn't see him walking towards them... they threw the poor boy against the wall, and I watched him explode into a puddle."

A little icicle formed on her cheek, and dropped to the ground, breaking into little pieces.

"It was my fault, and I feel really bad about it... he was too young. But you are probably more curious about where Phillip is taking Marshall."

Bubba had to admit, the thought had crossed his mind. The cries of the enemies beyond the walls were growing more impatient, and he could feel the fists boring into the stone siding of the castle.

"Well,"

She started, casting her gaze to the far window on the opposite side of the room.

"Phillip and I developed something before Marshall was even born. Since both of us were elementals with powers, and we were fighting many more wars then than now, we created a secret weapon. The idea was that the weapon be injected into the blood stream in form of a serum, causing our powers to overstimulate."

She explained.

"Basically, you would boost your special ability about ten times more than it already is."

She rubbed her shoulder, staring back down at the table. Bubba understood what she meant, but couldn't quite get how this tied into her explanation yet.

"Well once we found Marshall, Phillip decided to hide away the Serum, and we voted that it would only be used if it really needed to be. We don't know what it will do to him yet, but I fear we will loose control of Marshall. He is already strong as it is, boost his anger by another ten times..."

She didn't have to finish, the thought was terrifying. Marshall, covered in blood, his wild red eyes staring hungrily at Bubba...

He gulped.

"So what, Phillip's going to inject him with your 'super weapon' and unleash him on the Angels? Does he have a plan to get him back?"

Sierra tapped her icy nails on the granite, pinching her lips together.

"The effects last by however much of a dosage you give the patient. If it's as powerful as we assume, he should complete his task in no later than an hour. That means Phillip should give him a very low amount, and we just have to wait for the coast to be clear."

She rose to her feet, pacing back and forth in front of the door.

"So..."

Bubba asked, rubbing his neck.

"What do you want to do till then?"

~

Marshall and Phillip walked up several flights of stairs, until they stopped at the very top. The vampire had never explored this part of the castle before.

Inside the room at the top was a chair, a table, and a trash can.

"Now listen..."

Phillip began to explain the process of the super weapon to Marshall, gesturing to the chair for him to sit.

The vampire rubbed his arm, taking a seat against the cold wood. He shivered.

"So in other words, if you don't do it right, I'll be a danger to everyone?"

He asked. Phillip shook his head, pulling a small needle from a secret compartment under the table.

"You'll already be a danger to everyone, it's just if I give you a huge dosage you'll be wild for hours on end. We just need you to be out long enough to drive the Angels out of the Nightosphere."

The flaming boy grabbed a little cotton ball, holding the needle against Marshall's forearm.

"W-wait, you shouldn't be this close to me-"

He started, but Phillip slid the needle in, pressing down on the plunger. He grit his teeth together, feeling pain like liquid fire running through his veins.

"Ouch."

He groaned. Phillip chuckled, removing and tossing the needle into the can on the floor.

"It doesn't take effect for thirty minutes,"

He explained. Marshall nodded, his hand pressed against the injection site. The thought of the weapon flowing through his body scared him a little.

"Will Bubba be safe?"

He asked, staring up at his friend. Something flickered in his eyes, but it disappeared a moment later.

"Yes, he'll be locked in the conference room until you've completed your task, and changed back to your normal self."

Phillip responded.

The vampire exhaled in relief.

"Good."

The room became quiet, as the flaming prince was writing on a little piece of paper with a quill. Probably taking notes on any side effects.

Marshall ran his fingers along his neck, feeling a dry ache in his throat spreading to his tongue. His fingers and back were in pain as well.

"Listen, Marshall, I need to ask you something..."

Phillip said, looking up from his work.

"Shoot,"

Marshall offered.

"Uhm... how do you feel right now?"

He asked. The vampire thought for a moment, going through his feelings like a checklist.

"Well, I feel kinda thirsty, more than normal. There is an achy feeling in my teeth, fingers, head and back... and I am kinda agitated."

He answered. Phillip nodded, writing all this down. His eyebrows were furrowed.

"Okay... yes..."

He muttered to himself. Marshall winced, a pang in his head sharper than the needle that had been pressed into his skin just a moment before. That made him a little angry.

"Where did you say Bubba was again?"

Marshall asked, scratching his forehead. The flaming boy shook his head, looking up into his eyes.

"You are going to feel strong temptations Marsh, just try to ignore them for now."

Minutes of silence passed of Phillip just investigating the little things that were happening inside of Marshall. It was like getting hit with a rock repeatedly in certain areas to the vampire, but there was no one throwing them. The pain in his head and back became focus consuming, as no position he forced himself into was comfortable anymore. It felt like nails were ripping into his skin and peeling his flesh off.

Marshall was experiencing pain, and lots of it.

"Rgh, Phillip!"

He groaned, falling to the floor.

"Help me!"

He cried into his arms. Phillip remained in his seat.

"Any time now..."

The prince muttered. Marshall wanted to hurt him for that.

"Phillip!"

He tried again. This time, the other boy looked up, and ran to his side.

"I hate to leave you in pain like this, but I'm afraid you can't be here anymore."

He said, helping the vampire back to his feet. Marshall didn't understand what he meant.

"What-"

He asked, but gasped as he was shoved to the window.

"You'll be fine, just get it done, we'll be waiting."

He said. The boy was afraid of Phillip.

"What do you mean?"

He begged. The prince smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry."

He whispered, and pushed Marshall into the glass of the window pane. It broke on contact, and the vampire remembered how he broke bubba's window like that.

Before Marshall could do anything, he was pushed over the edge, and he found himself plunging towards the ground. The wind screamed in his ears, causing his brain to go haywire. He was squeezing his eyes shut, thinking about how he was going to die. He was going to die on impact. There was too much noise...

It suddenly stopped. Slowly, Marshall opened his eyes again, looking down. He was just inches from the hard pavement, but he wasn't falling. He looked back up to the window, but there was something blocking his view.

Wings. He had massive black wings.

~

Bubba winced, hearing the angry noises of Angel's outside. They were getting closer and closer to breaking the doors down.

"Sierra,"

He started, turning to the girl.

"You said they got through before, why are they outside now?"

She played with a strand of her hair.

"They send their soldiers out in waves. The first one was all the low skilled, non-mature Angels. At least as non-mature as an Angel can get."

She said, making small gestures with her hands.

"Then, once they've gone, the 'higher ranked officials',"

She made air quotations,

"Step in and finish the job. They've been unsuccessful so far, this is the closest they've come to breaking us then ever."

Sierra sounded frightened, her blue eyes wider than they naturally are. She was what Marshall would call a coward, but Bubba wasn't Marshall.

"It's okay, they never will. Not with Marshall..."

He trailed off, hearing a new kind of cry coming from outside. It was one of terror and agony.

"He's done it,"

Sierra proclaimed, running to the window. It was stained glass, and probably hard to see out of, but she tried anyways.

Her expression faltered once her forehead was pressed against the pane.

"Oh my god..."

She muttered. He heard the screams grow louder, along with a few orders from those superiors she was talking about.

Bubba ran to join her, pressing his forehead against the glass and looking down at the ground.

When they said 'Angels', bubba figured white winged robed humanoids with halos. That was not the case.

They were all women, with barely any clothing, white eyes, and long hair. Of course there were a few of them that did have wings, but a short number.

Then there was one that stood out the most, and it had black wings. It was turned around, so bubba couldn't see it, but it appeared to be ripping the limbs off of one of the Angels...

Oh. It was Marshall.

His head whipped from side to side, like the affects of an overpowered sugar rush would give a human. His body was covered in golden stains, and his shirt was only hanging on by his shoulder, due to the massive black wings sprouting from his back.

Not only did his backside look scary, but the front did as well.

He had two long horns coming straight out of his forehead; his nails were like blades. And his eyes....

Black soulless pits, unable to tell good from evil. All they knew was destruction.

This wasn't the Marshall Bubba had liked before. This was a new vampire, one who was truly evil. One who could kill the boy if he got close.

He was moving too fast to see clearly now, bodies crumpling to the floor in a horrific mass.

Screams filled Bubba's ears, and pleading women fell to the floor. He felt like he needed to help them somehow....

"No, don't think about that. Angels are designed to look pleasing to draw you in."

Sierra put a hand on his shoulder, which brought him back to reality.

"How did you know that?"

He asked. She pointed to his eyes.

“They became fuzzy.”

Suddenly, the screams stopped, and there was a brief moment of silence. Bubba turned his head back to the window, and stifled a yelp. One of the angels had gotten behind Marshall, and was holding a blade to his neck. He was thrashing a little, but the closer the weapon got to his skin, the more still he became. The Angel smiled.

Screw it.

Bubba turned away from the window, and grabbed the closest thing he could find; a chair.

"Get back!"

He yelled, and Sierra jumped out of the way. Bubba threw the chair into the glass, causing both a terrible shattering sound and the icy queen to scream. There was now a huge hole in the window.

He didn't think, he just jumped.

The air whistled in Bubba's ears, and his body was flying towards the ground. He had jumped from the third floor window, so if he didn't land correctly, he'd be severely broken, or he'd even die. He had only seconds to come up with a plan.

Looking down at the ground made his stomach jump to his throat, but he swallowed it back down.

Of course, he knew exactly where he'd land.

Just a few more seconds, and he came in contact with his target; the Angel that had caught Marshall. She screamed in surprise, her knife flying backwards. She'd lost her grip on the vampire completely.

Both him and the Angel landed hard on the ground, and Bubba grit his teeth in pain.

"Damn!"

He cried loudly, holding his arm to his chest.

That impact hurt.

Once the boy regained his conscious, he realized how foolish that choice was, and he was now in the center of a huge fight.

The Angel he'd collided with winced, pulling herself up off the ground. She brushed brown locks from her eyes, and spat something golden to the ground.

It was probably her blood, which was a beautiful color.

"Humans can be such a pain... I guess I'll have to kill you too,"

She said, holding the point of her knife to Bubba's chest. He could feel the metal poking through his dirt covered shirt, and he held his breath.

This was the end, but at least he'd bought Marshall some time to get away.

He squeezed his eyes shut and prepared for more pain, but it never came. The point of the knife was still at his chest.

Why hadn't she killed him yet?

A gurgling noise came from her throat, and Bubba opened his eyes once more.

He tried not to gag. Marshall had taken advantage of her being distracted, and managed to sink his teeth into her throat. He watched the gold trickle down her arm, and drip off her fingertips, burning on the brimstone underfoot. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and she slumped to the ground limp.

She was probably dead.

After that, the remaining Angels ran. He heard them screaming threats at the castle, but none of it mattered, because they had won.

They won.

Bubba cried out, feeling fire on his left forearm. He checked it, and gasped.

There was blood oozing out of a huge gash. The Angel had managed to slice it when they landed.

"Oh crap..."

He muttered, holding his arm against his shirt. Marshall whipped his head around, his large black pits boring into Bubba's soul. He licked his lips.

Suddenly, the vampire pounced, pushing them both to the ground.

He was on top of the boy, one hand at his throat, the other grabbing his Injured arm. Bubba kicked and groaned, trying to break free, but his friend was too strong.

"Marshall please, stop!"

He screamed, but the vampire didn't seem to hear him.

Marshall let the scarlet liquid flow from his wound, watching it turn into droplets at his elbow. It was almost a sin not to stare, his hunger still raging. It was too much to bare.

He let his tongue drag up the boy's arm, catching all the blood that flowed from the cut. A blissful satisfaction shivered up his spine, he was delicious.

Bubba started to cry, fearful of his friend's new thirst.

"Please snap out of it! You'd never do this! You wouldn't...."

He pleaded. Marshall didn't stop, overwhelmed with hunger and bloodlust. He clamped down on Bubba's wrist, causing the boy to scream in agony, and he sank his fangs into the soft flesh of his neck.

Bubba thought he was through. He didn't want to go this way, at the hands of the only friend who'd ever made him feel special. He still had so many things to do with his life, and all of it was going to go to waste.

Just when he'd lost hope and given up, his vision going black at the edges, he heard a loud popping sound, Marshall was flung off of him. There was no more weight, or tension. He smiled, and the darkness swallowed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this work can recieve 30 kuddos, I will write a bonus chapter featuring Phillip and Fionna!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last update to my Gumlee fic! :( I’m sad it’s over. But I’m glad that it’s gotten this far and has even received positive feedback, be sure to read the end notes (chapter 10) for some more information!

Chapter 7

Marshall bolt upright from the ground he was laying on. The brimstone of the Nightosphere heated his fingers where they touched. He winced, rubbing his head and looking around. His horns and wings had disappeared, leaving him looking half normal. His shirt was still torn, and there was a lot of Angel's blood coating it.

He scanned the scene before him, a frown on his face. The castle looked almost the same as it did before, tall and mighty. The walls were cracked, and the third floor window was shattered, but other than that it was the same.

His eyes passed over several corpses, all Angel's thankfully. He exhaled deeply, feeling a massive ache in his skull.

Suddenly, he picked up a scent that was different from the rest. One that he'd been familiar with for a month now. He stared at the ground in front of him, and gagged. A few splotches of red blood spotted the stones, and covered the tip of one of the Angel's blades.

That was wrong, Angel's only bled gold.

He grabbed the knife, wiping off the surface with his shirt. He stared down in it, but his reflection wasn't there, like always. He touched his fingers to his lips and brought them back, horrified to see the same color standing them. He dropped the knife and rose to his feet.

Something had gone terribly wrong, he could feel it, but he couldn't remember what. He stumbled forward towards the castle's doors, and tried to force them open. They wouldn't budge.

He cursed, stepping back a few feet. The only way in was to fly and find an opening, which he found the third floor window to be quite useful.

The minute his feet touched the ground, he felt the glass crack beneath his shoes. He lifted his foot and sighed, figuring he'd have to pick the shards out later. The room he'd jumped into was the conference room, and the door was left ajar. Frost covered the walls, which meant Sierra was frightened.

He followed the ice down the long hallway and up another flight of stairs, which came to the sixth floor.

There was a closed door, with light shining from the crack. He heard a massive groan, followed by a viscous cough.

He tried to push the door open, but it was locked. So he backed up, and forced his shoulder into it.

Marshall broke the door down, biting his lip at the throbbing in his head and arm. He looked up, and saw Phillip bent over something with a really bright lamp above him.

Towards the right of the room, Sierra sat in a chair, trying to bite her nails. There was a mini cloud above her head, and snowflakes were falling from it.

They both turned at the same time, gasping at Marshall.

"Shit, I didn't think you'd recover that fast..."

Phillip muttered, setting a pair of tongs down on a metal tray. The same groan as before came from behind him.

Marshall had a feeling he knew what it was.

He ignored Phillip, and came around to the other side of the table.

He covered his mouth, eyes widening.

Bubba had his pale chest exposed,   
His shirt was in a heap on the ground. There was blood dripping from his neck to his shoulder, and his arm was resting on another table, a line of black stitches going from his wrist to his elbow.

Phillip had a bandage pressed to his neck, but he was still in a lot of pain, and was losing blood fast.

"Oh my god..."

He muttered, swallowing down the lump in his throat. Phillip frowned, picking up a cotton ball and rubbing alcohol.

"Listen Marsh, before you blame yourself, it wasn't your fault. He jumped into your way, and you couldn't control yourself. It was my fault, I told you to become stronger, but at a risk... this was it."

He was shaking a little in his fingertips, but he dabbed around the area where the blood came from with the ball. Bubba grit his teeth, a muffled scream barely making its way passed his lips. Marshall wanted to cover his ears. He took Bubba's weak hand, and squeezed it gently.

"I don't really care who's fault it is right now, I need you to tell me if he can be fixed."

The vampire pleaded, staring hopefully at Phillip. He sighed, setting the alcohol down and taking a damp towel in his hands. He wrung it out over Bubba's skin; blood mixed with the water, which then fell off of him and to the floor. It probably didn't hurt as bad as the alcohol did, but he still flinched.

"Well yes, he'll be fine... but I have to ask you something before he goes back with you to earth."

He replaced the first bandage with a new one, and looked over at Sierra. The Ice Queen nodded, rising to her feet and coming to stand beside the table.

Phillip wrapped gauze over Bubba's arm, and tapped it off, setting it back down.

"Come with me,"

He said, beckoning for Marshall to follow him. He removed his latex gloves and walked through the broken door, coming to the end of the hallway. Marshall's eyebrows furrowed, but he stayed close to the flaming prince.

Once they were out of earshot, Phillip slumped over. His flames shot up a little, showing how much anxiety he was hiding before.

"Do you really love that human Marsh?"

He asked, staring up at the vampire. Marshall ran his fingers through his hair, staring at the ground guiltily.

"Yes, I do."

He replied. Phillip exhaled sharply, laughing a little.

"So I can't change your mind and tell you to stay, can I..."

He wondered aloud. Marshall was still a little confused, but he understood why Phillip wanted him to stay. Now that slime prince was dead... they were the only Princes left in all of the Nightosphere. Sierra wasn't great company.

"Ah, I can't deny you your happiness. It is wrong to let others suffer."

For the first time in his life, Marshall saw Phillip crying. Well, steam was rolling off his cheeks since the tears melted once they came in contact with his skin, but it was still crying. He opened his mouth to say something, but the flaming prince silenced him.

"Just listen to me dumbass. Bubba is a frightened person after seeing you in that form... he's utterly terrified of you now. I know that's not what you want, you want to be able to go past that and live like a normal teenage boy. But there will come a day when he's old and is close to dying, yet you won't have aged a day."

Phillip inhaled through his nose, crossing his arms over his chest.

"There is a solution that I can offer, but it too comes with a price."

Marshall felt dumbfounded, he didn't know what to do. It was true what the prince had said, that bubba would surpass his age and die without him, but how the hell could there be a solution to that?

"If you mean turning bubba into a vampire, than that's a no. Sorry."

Phillip shook his head, eyes closed.

"No, there is a different way."

A strong gust of wind howled past the walls of the castle, causing Marshall to flinch a little.

"What if I told you that you could become mortal again?"

~

Bubba felt the worst pain in his neck. It was throbbing, and at other times, it would pulse and burn. He could tell there was someone overtop of him, but he couldn't tell who. They were helping him.

"Ouch!"

He groaned, but it sounded muffled to him. Something had stabbed into his arm.

Just then, he heard a large bang! And heard voices. They were male, and there was two of them.

What had happened again? He could hardly remember. The pain in his neck was making it hard to think.

Suddenly, something could touched his hand, and squeezed it gently. He remembered something cold like that before, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

It was starting to get frustrating.

A huge sting thundered up his skull, causing bubba to clench his jaw really tightly, and scream. He wanted it to stop so bad.

Suddenly, the hand was gone, and a cold liquid was trickling down his skin. He shivered at the icy fingers of the water. Well... he guessed it was water.

The voices stopped. The only noise bubba could hear was ringing in his left ear, which was quite irritating.

He knew he wasn't alone, because someone was standing next to him. He tried to turn his head, but all he managed to do was make the pain worse. Whoever was next to him was freezing.

Freezing, that made him remember something.

A woman with white hair and a blue dress, who froze things with her touch. He winced, and the memory was gone.

Frustration swelled inside the boy's head.

A few more minutes passed, and he slowly regained his hearing, sense of awareness, and feeling in his fingers and toes.

He shivered again, the cold growing worse.

He heard shuffling of feet, and felt the room heat up immediately. He sent a silent thank you to whoever caused that.

"I'm sorry bubba... you'll be okay, I promise."

He heard. Who was speaking to him? Why was he apologizing?

Something sharp pressed into his good shoulder, and he felt a blissful sensation tingle through his veins. The pain was releived a little, but the world was going black.

Not again, he remembered black before. Black wasn't good.

He wasn't able to fight it, and passed out almost immediately.

~

"So... he won't remember anything?"

Marshall asked, staring at the limp body of his best friend.

"I left the basic memories, like how to walk, talk and eat. I also left family and friends, but altered them a bit to cope with his injuries. Using the information you gave me about his friend, I created a false memory of him falling down a flight of stairs at school, and how she helped him to the hospital. But since she isn't his close friend anymore, she abandoned him there."

He explained, preparing yet another needle. He wondered how many of these things he used back before Marshall was even with them.

"This is the last one, right?"

The vampire asked, starting to grow afraid of needles. The last one he'd used turned him into a blood thirsty uncontrollable monster.

Phillip nodded, stepping over to Marshall and pulling up his sleeve.

"I feel like a really bad person, hiding all these things from you... but do you remember what I told you about what this did?"

He asked, unwrapping an antiseptic wipe. He nodded slowly.

“It’s supposed to reverse all the effects of immortality?”

Phillip looked at Sierra, scratching his head.

"Yes. Remember how I said this comes with a price?"

He said. Marshall recalled those words.

"Yes, so what is it?"

He asked. Phillip blinked slowly, turning up to him with a frown.

"You will never be able to return to The Nightosphere again. Which means you won't be able to see Sierra or me. You'll still remember everything that ever happened to you, but you aren't immortal anymore."

Marshall frowned as well.

"Wait, why not? I thought humans could enter too!"

The flaming prince groaned, grabbing the vampire's forearm.

"Humans can only enter once. Since you've been here twice now, it counts it once you've become mortal. You and bubba will never be able to come back."

Phillip was about to press the needle to Marshall's skin, but he held the other boy's hand.

"Wait... could you at least let me say goodbye?"

He pleaded. Phillip stopped short, exhaling quietly for a long time.

"Go for it."

He said. Marshall looked at Sierra, then back at the Flaming prince.

"G-goodbye."

He said. It was foolish, but he knew he'd miss them very much one day.

Phillip pressed the tip of the syringe to the vampire's cold skin, and released the fluid into Marshall's bloodstream. It wasn't as painful as the last, but his vision was fading, fading...

**Blackout**.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this fic can recieve 30 kuddos, I will write a bonus chapter featuring Phillip and Fionna!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8 (ending)

Bubba sat up in bed, rubbing his head. It was Monday morning, a groggy sun shined through his broken window.

He'd have to fix it soon, he'd been irresponsible to run so fast and fling his phone into the glass. It wasn't his favorite memory, that's for sure.

He rose to his feet, and groaned at the pain in his arm and neck. That's yet another memory he didn't like.

The hard cement staircase left his head throbbing.

Bubba opened his closet door, pulling out his pink sweater and white shirt, carefully pulling them over his head. The bandage on his neck was quiet annoying.

He checked his reflection in the mirror hanging on his door, shrugging at the person on the other side. He wished Fionna was still there, so he'd have at least one person not staring at him all funny with these new injuries, but that was yesterday's grief. Today he'd have to walk through the halls staring straight forward.

Just as he'd thought, his mother already left for work. She left a half eaten bowl of cereal on the countertop, which made the boy a little angry with her. He cleaned it up while he made himself toast.

After the bread was down and he'd fully woken up, Bubba threw his backpack over his shoulder and opened the front door.

He unlocked his phone and pulled out his bus tracker, which told him he'd have to walk now or else he'd miss it.

He remembered the way he took when the bus wasn't running.

Maybe he should go that way for some physical training, even though his injuries weren't quite effected by walking or sitting. He stepped off of the cement porch, inhaling deeply. The air smelled like fall was coming, chilly and full of leaves. He always liked that smell.

Other kids walked past him on the sidewalk with their heads down or running to meet a friend at the corner. One of them had music playing in her ears.

Bubba cursed when he realized he'd forgotten his earbuds at home.

He'd just have to continue his day without them.

As he came up on the city outside of his neighborhood, he dragged his fingers along the brick wall of the old factory. He felt the tiny bits of rock barely scratch his skin.

He'd reached the alleyway, and was just about to walk headlong into it, when he stopped.

There was a boy in a red flannel jacket leaning against a fence, his hands in his pockets. His hair was jet black and a mess, but it fit his features well. He had a pair of narrow brown eyes, and a thin lip line, curving upwards once their stares locked. His skin was almost white, he was so pale.

For some reason, Bubba felt like he'd met this guy somewhere before. Although it wasn't a great place to just stumble upon someone, he felt safe.

The boy moved forward towards him, but bubba didn't feel threatened.

"Hey there, you look pretty banged up... excuse me but, have I met you before?"

He asked, now only three feet in front of bubba. The pink haired boy held out his hand, smiling sheepishly.

"Yea, I had a little accident the other day involving some stairs. I feel like I've seen you before, but I don't know... I'm bubba."

He said. The other boy grabbed his hand and shook it firmly. It was warm, soft.

"Marshall. It's nice to meet you Bubba.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this work can recieve 30 kuddos, I will write a bonus fic featuring Phillip and Fionna!


	10. End notes

**End Notes:**  
Thank you so much for reading! I am very happy this is finally done, I planned it for three months and it took me another three to write it, and finally one month of editing! I will not be doing a part two to this story, but if this Fanfiction can get 30 kuddos I will write a BONUS short story involving Phillip and Fionna! (We are already almost there) As much as I appreciate seeing love and questions asked about a continuation, I’m using my time to start on other projects.

But I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions! How did you like this fic? What other ships do you want me to write about? Should I throw in a few one shots? It’s all up to you!

Anyways that’s all I have. Thanks again for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> If this work can get 30 kuddos, I will write a bonus chapter regarding Phillip and Fionna!


End file.
